UN human rights office warns of worsening atrocities against Rohingya, urges global action

The UN human rights office warned on Friday that conditions for the Rohingya in Myanmar are deteriorating, calling for immediate action to end impunity and strengthen international support.

"As we near the passing of another year with no justice for the violence which started on 25 August 2017 in Myanmar, we are left to ask the question of when the enduring misery for these and ongoing crimes will end, particularly for the long-suffering Rohingya community," spokesperson Jeremy Laurence told reporters in Geneva.

He said: "Ending impunity and ensuring the Rohingya's rights to security, citizenship, and equality are essential for breaking the cycle of violence."

The office said the situation in Rakhine State has sharply deteriorated since November 2023, deepening already life-threatening conditions.

Laurence noted that "both the military and the Arakan Army have committed and continue to commit serious atrocity crimes against the Rohingya with impunity—in flagrant violation of international law, including the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice."

Funding cuts are compounding the crisis, he said, noting that Rohingya in both Myanmar and Bangladesh are enduring "dire conditions" compounded by drastic cuts to food assistance.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk "implores the international community to step up support for the Rohingya by increasing humanitarian funding to secure access to basic needs and essential services, and to resolutely support international accountability processes," Laurance concluded.