As we mark the eighth anniversary of the Rohingya genocide on 25 August, we remember the horrific violence that forced more than 700,000 people to flee their homes in Myanmar.

On that day in 2017, the Myanmar military launched brutal attacks against the Rohingya community in Rakhine State. Entire villages were burned, thousands were killed, and many more faced sexual violence, torture and forced displacement. In 2022, the United States determined these actions constituted genocide and crimes against humanity. The United Nations has similarly described this violence as a “ textbook example of ethnic cleansing”.

In the lead-up to the anniversary, an Australian delegation, led by the Refugee Council of Australia, visited the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh: 2024 NSW Young Australian of the Year and former Rohingya refugee and advocate Noor Azizah, the Refugee Council of Australia’s Dr Graham Thom, and human rights advocate and former Socceroo Craig Foster. Over four days, they met community members, aid workers, staff on Australian-funded projects, and local officials.

Cox’s Bazar is now one of the most densely populated refugee settlements in the world. More than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees live across 33 overcrowded sites. The vast majority arrived during the mass displacement of 2017.

Despite the Bangladeshi Government’s longstanding position that all Rohingya must return to Myanmar, the number of new arrivals has only grown since 2017.

Dr Thom previously visited the camps in 2007, when there were about 30,000 refugees who had fled Myanmar in 1992, and again in 2023. This year’s return was driven by recent and alarming developments both in Myanmar and internationally.

One key concern is that global attention has shifted elsewhere. Rightly, countries such as Australia have had to respond to other crises — in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza — but support for the Rohingya has sharply declined.

This decline was exacerbated by the Trump administration’s January 2025 decision to freeze all US foreign aid pending a 90-day review.

While some funding has since been restored for “life-saving” programs, critical support remains suspended. In 2024, the US had provided more than 50% of the Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya. With additional cuts from Germany and the UK, the 2025 plan, which is seeking US$934.5 million, is only 16% funded.

The consequences of these cuts are devastating. UN agencies and partners have scaled back to near life-saving operations only. More than 6500 learning centres have shut, eliminating education access for more than 500,000 children and resulting in more than 1000 teachers losing their jobs.

During the visit, Noor Azizah described walking through the camps and seeing children left to their own devices, playing with toys made of mud in the monsoon rain. Parents expressed fear over letting children roam, citing concerns about kidnappings and the risk from NGO vehicles in narrow streets.

“The heartbreak is hard to put into words,” Azizah said, “these children are stuck in limbo, without safety or opportunity.”

Beyond the loss of education, there are mounting health and protection concerns. An increase in disease outbreaks, including cholera, coincides with fears of forced marriage, child labour and exploitation.

Ironically, just as aid is being cut, Bangladesh’s interim government, appointed in August 2024, has shown new openness toward improving conditions, including discussions about education, durable shelters, and livelihoods. Historically, the government’s insistence that all Rohingya return to Myanmar meant that shelters remained temporary and highly vulnerable to floods and fires. Education is restricted, and working remains illegal.

The funding crisis now threatens even modest progress. Projects to improve shelters and offer skills training are being scaled back or cancelled.

Despite these constraints, some initiatives continue. One example is the Adidas-funded “Sports for Protection” program, which offers football and life skills training for youth in four of the 33 camps. Delegation members joined boys and girls in spirited games played under torrential rain, providing a glimpse of normalcy amid hardship.

But sport alone is not enough. Without education or work opportunities, many young people are at risk of falling into negative coping mechanisms. Noor reflected on visiting an MSF clinic, where young Rohingya girls, none looking older than 15, had given birth.

“These are girls, not women,” she said. “Their childhoods were taken before they even had the chance to dream.”

Meanwhile, the situation in Myanmar continues to worsen. Since November 2023, the Arakan Army, an armed group of the Rakhine ethnic group, has seized control of 14 out of 17 townships in Rakhine State and now controls the full 271-kilometre stretch of the border with Bangladesh.

In a further tragedy, the Myanmar military has begun forcibly recruiting Rohingya to fight the AA. The AA itself has perpetrated abuses against Rohingya civilians, including targeted killings, arbitrary detention, and forced displacement.

As a result, another 118,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late 2023. With no new shelters built, these refugees have been crammed into already overflowing spaces. One child, just three years old, was being taught to walk with a prosthetic leg by aid workers from Handicap International; he had lost his limb to gunfire as his family crossed the border. His father was killed in front of him.

For the Rohingya, the hope of returning home safely, with dignity and rights, feels more remote than ever.

Despite the bleak outlook, there have been meaningful responses. Unlike other countries, Australia has maintained its aid funding, committing A$370 million over three years. It has also increased refugee resettlement, joining efforts by Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland. The US had pledged to resettle 10,000 Rohingya annually, an effort now disrupted by the ongoing aid freeze.

Three upcoming events present Australia with opportunities to lead: the UN High-level Conference on the Rohingya in New York, the Bali Process Ministerial meeting, and the UNHCR high-level review of Global Refugee Forum commitments at the end of the year.

At these international forums, it is essential that Australia not only reaffirm its support but actively press other governments to step up.

Until safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation to Myanmar becomes a reality, sustained international protection and funding are critical.

Globally, there are approximately 2.8 million Rohingya people. According to MSF, only 1% live with any real freedom. Noor Azizah, one of those 1%, described the weight of that privilege.

“I carry it with responsibility,” she said. “The Rohingya aren’t just a community to me – they’re my family. And I owe everything I do to them.”

The international community owes them more than silence.

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.