Since the coup in 1962 and subsequent violence experienced by them, Rohingya have fled to neighbouring countries in their thousands, particularly across the border into Bangladesh, where they are housed in refugee camps around the town of Cox’s Bazar. Since the increased violence in 2017, an estimated half a million more refugees have fled the country, with the camps around Cox’s Bazar holding close to a million Rohingya refugees. This makes the area surrounding Cox’s Bazar the world’s most densely populated refugee settlement. 

The increase in a population of people with little resources has seen many refugees crammed into makeshift shelters with little protection from the environment. The coastal areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar near where Cox’s Bazar is located is an area severely prone to tropical monsoons and cyclones. The UN High Commission for Refugees estimates 120 hectares of the camps are prone to landslides, while another 400 hectares are prone to flooding, potentially affecting many already vulnerable people. 

Along with susceptibility to natural disasters, the Rohingya population in these camps also suffer the effects of low water and food security, malnutrition, and infectious diseases including measles and cholera. Lack of education and employment have also seen widespread criminal activity, both from within and outside the camp, with local criminal elements enlisting refugees and taking advantage of the desperation of the Rohingya. While the UN, international NGOs and charities work to alleviate the situation in the camps, the areas around Cox’s Bazar will likely remain the location for one of the largest and fastest-growing refugee crises in the world.