Independent UN experts have called for urgent action to support Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh after reports emerged that two boats carrying over 500 passengers may have capsized off the coast of Myanmar in mid-July 2026. The Human Rights Council-appointed experts emphasized that statelessness and prolonged displacement of Rohingya refugees contribute to serious risks of human trafficking with devastating consequences.

The Rohingya, an ethnic minority Muslim group long denied citizenship in Myanmar, have faced brutal attacks from armed forces and police, escalating in 2017. The UN has described them as “the most persecuted minority in the world.” In August 2017 alone, more than 750,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh, forming the world’s largest refugee camp. NGO Doctors Without Borders reported 6,700 Rohingya killed in the first month of the 2017 crackdown, and the UN found that the Myanmar government had genocidal intent in its persecution.

In 2025, over 900 Rohingya refugees died at sea, mostly in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal, with about 66% being women and children. Bangladesh currently hosts nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, many lacking access to education, employment, and safe migration pathways.

Separately, UN experts expressed profound concern over reports that Bahá’í individuals in Iran are subjected to incommunicado detention, torture, and enforced disappearance, calling these actions clear violations of international law and a flagrant violation of the right to freedom of religion or belief.

Additionally, between July 24 and 28, 2026, 100 members of the armed group Retour, Réclamation et Réhabilitation (3R) voluntarily disarmed in the Central African Republic as part of a UN disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, and repatriation program.

Sources