UNHCR: 2025 was deadliest year yet for maritime movements of Rohingya refugees
UNHCR: 2025 was deadliest year yet for maritime movements of Rohingya refugees
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Ongoing Situations
UNHCR’s operations in Asia and the Pacific encompass two of the world’s largest forced displacement crises:
Afghanistan Situation
Human rights violations, acute food insecurity, and recurrent natural disasters continue to compound one another, while funding shortfalls and a struggling economy are eroding already limited coping mechanisms. These overlapping challenges disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, particularly women and girls, whose access to education, public spaces, work, and services is severely restricted under discriminatory policies imposed by the de facto authorities.
Myanmar Situation
Conflict in Myanmar continues to intensify, causing new internal displacement and cross-border movements while overwhelming protection and humanitarian systems. Needs far exceed available funding, and widespread violence persists.
Rising irregular maritime movements expose refugees and asylum-seekers to severe risks, while Rohingya refugees remain in protracted displacement eight years after arriving in Bangladesh. Despite regional progress, including work rights for long-staying refugees in Thailand, conditions for voluntary and safe return remain limited.
Key facts and figures
Population groups in Asia-Pacific | 2024
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Regional Trends Report
The Asia & the Pacific Regional Trends report for 2024 provides an overview of forced displacement and statelessness in the region up to the end of the year. Presenting an in-depth look into the Asia-Pacific region, it follows on from the release of UNHCR’s flagship Global Trends report.
UNHCR helps to save lives and build better futures for the millions of people forced to flee their homes.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency works to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge, having fled violence, persecution, war or disaster at home.
Since 1950, we have faced multiple crises on multiple continents, and provided vital assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced and stateless people, many of whom have nobody left to turn to.
We help to save lives and build better futures for millions forced from home.
MIDDLE EAST EMERGENCY
A humanitarian emergency is unfolding across the Middle East. Families have been forced to flee their homes, including those who are already refugees, with nowhere safe to turn. Displaced people are in urgent need of aid.
UNHCR is the largest UN agency present in Iran. We are on the ground with emergency supplies and are ready to scale up as needed.
We are at the borders in neighbouring countries ready to respond with the relief items that people need most in the first days after they are forced to flee, including blankets, sleeping mats, and hygiene kits. Providing vulnerable displaced people with these emergency items supports their dignity, health, privacy, reducing further protection risks. Your urgent support can help us rush even more aid to families who have lost everything.
Refugees and displaced people are impacted across the region, including in Lebanon. They need urgent support.
equips a displaced family with a kitchen set — giving them the tools to cook, share meals, and regain a sense of normalcy.
can provide a hygiene kit—including dignity items for women—covering the needs of a family of five for three months and supporting their health and wellbeing.
provides a family tent to a displaced family—giving them safe shelter and protection during their time of displacement
What's happening around UNHCR
The Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal have become a graveyard.
— UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) April 20, 2026
Rohingya families are risking everything for safety.
Many don’t make it.
But they have nowhere else to turn.
Safety shouldn’t cost a life. pic.twitter.com/Foax65sYYx