Bangladesh — Rohingya Crisis Response — Needs and Priorities of Rohingya Refugees and Host Communities in Cox’s Bazar Since 2017: What Has Changed (January 2018 - December 2022)

August 2017 and the months that followed saw the influx of more than 700,000 Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. This influx brought the Rohingya refugee population in Cox’s Bazar to over 900,000 (IOM 31/03/2022). While there has been continuous humanitarian support for the refugees, restrictions imposed in response to COVID-19 interrupted some humanitarian activities and forced the scaling down of others. Humanitarian activities had fully resumed by mid-2021, but the negative impacts of COVID-19 restrictions persist (ISCG 04/11/2021).

Since 2017, the refugees’ prioritisation of their needs has changed. In the first months after arriving in Cox’s Bazar, the focus was almost entirely on basic needs, such as food, water, shelter, and safety and security. As the situation stabilised, income-generating activities and education became increasingly important. The effect of COVID-19 and increased government restrictions that reduced livelihood opportunities and access to education reinforced the prioritisation of these needs for the Rohingya. For people living in host communities, there is a similar trend regarding priority needs.