Why is the Rohingya crisis still happening?
3 min | 20 Jan 2026
This video looks at the situation of the Rohingya, a largely Muslim ethnic group from Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Before 2017, their population in Myanmar was commonly estimated at around one million. For decades, the Rohingya have complained of state-sanctioned attacks and general discrimination, restrictions on movement, and exclusion from citizenship under Myanmar’s laws.
Violence intensified in 2016 and 2017, leading to the mass displacement of more than 750,000 Rohingya to neighbouring countries, particularly Bangladesh. Numerous international organisations and humanitarian groups have documented accounts from survivors describing the destruction of villages, family separations, and dangerous journeys through forests and across the Bay of Bengal.
Today, large numbers of Rohingya live in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, where many rely on humanitarian assistance. Aid reductions have affected food supplies and services, and some people have attempted risky sea crossings in search of safety. Bangladesh continues to host those who fled, while maintaining that the Rohingya should eventually return to Myanmar when conditions allow.
