RCN Mourns Landslide Victims in Cox’s Bazar: Rohingya Belong in Arakan, Not Refugee Camps
7 July 2026
Rohingya Community in Norway (RCN) expresses its deepest sorrow and sympathy following the tragic incident in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where at least eight Rohingya refugees, including several children, lost their lives in landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains. Several others were injured, and many families lost their fragile shelters as mud and earth swept through the densely populated camps. Every life lost in these camps is a painful reminder of the prolonged tragedy that the Rohingya people continue to endure.
The vast refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar are home to more than one million Rohingya who fled systematic persecution, violence, and grave human rights violations in Myanmar. The camps are built on hilly terrain with simple bamboo shelters and tarpaulins, making them highly vulnerable to heavy rain, flooding, and landslides during the monsoon season. Despite repeated warnings from humanitarian organizations, thousands of families are still forced to live in high-risk areas.
At the same time, international humanitarian support for Rohingya refugees has been significantly reduced in recent years. Funding cuts have made it increasingly difficult to provide sufficient food, healthcare, education, protection, and essential infrastructure needed to reduce the risk of such disasters. This is happening at a time when the needs are greater than ever.
RCN emphasizes that the rightful and dignified place for the Rohingya is not in refugee camps in Bangladesh. The Rohingya are an indigenous people of Arakan, also known as Rakhine State, in Myanmar, where their ancestors have lived for centuries. No people should be forced to live indefinitely as refugees, dependent on aid and exposed to natural disasters year after year.
Sadly, the continuing persecution and serious abuses against the Rohingya, including actions committed by armed actors that prevent safe return, make it impossible for most refugees to return home. A lasting solution can only be achieved when the Rohingya are able to return voluntarily, safely, and with dignity to their homes in Arakan, with full citizenship, security, freedom, and equal rights.
RCN believes that the international community has a moral, legal, and humanitarian responsibility to secure such a solution. The world must not accept that more than one million people remain trapped in refugee camps without a future. Increased humanitarian assistance, stronger diplomatic efforts, and concrete measures are urgently needed to ensure accountability for serious human rights violations and to create the conditions for safe return.
RCN especially calls on Norway to continue being a clear voice for the rights of the Rohingya people. As an internationally respected advocate for human rights, Norway has an important role to play in promoting the protection of the Rohingya, supporting international justice processes, and helping ensure that the Rohingya regain their fundamental rights and the possibility to return home to Arakan in safety and dignity.
RCN extends its deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and stands in solidarity with all Rohingya refugees who have once again been struck by a tragedy they should never have had to face. We urge governments, the United Nations, humanitarian organizations, and all those working for human rights to act swiftly and collectively to protect the Rohingya people and contribute to a just and lasting solution to this prolonged humanitarian crisis.
Rohingya Community in Norway (RCN) expresses its deepest sorrow and sympathy following the tragic incident in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where at least eight Rohingya refugees, including several children, lost their lives in landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains. Several others were injured, and many families lost their fragile shelters as mud and earth swept through the densely populated camps. Every life lost in these camps is a painful reminder of the prolonged tragedy that the Rohingya people continue to endure.
The vast refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar are home to more than one million Rohingya who fled systematic persecution, violence, and grave human rights violations in Myanmar. The camps are built on hilly terrain with simple bamboo shelters and tarpaulins, making them highly vulnerable to heavy rain, flooding, and landslides during the monsoon season. Despite repeated warnings from humanitarian organizations, thousands of families are still forced to live in high-risk areas.
At the same time, international humanitarian support for Rohingya refugees has been significantly reduced in recent years. Funding cuts have made it increasingly difficult to provide sufficient food, healthcare, education, protection, and essential infrastructure needed to reduce the risk of such disasters. This is happening at a time when the needs are greater than ever.
RCN emphasizes that the rightful and dignified place for the Rohingya is not in refugee camps in Bangladesh. The Rohingya are an indigenous people of Arakan, also known as Rakhine State, in Myanmar, where their ancestors have lived for centuries. No people should be forced to live indefinitely as refugees, dependent on aid and exposed to natural disasters year after year.
Sadly, the continuing persecution and serious abuses against the Rohingya, including actions committed by armed actors that prevent safe return, make it impossible for most refugees to return home. A lasting solution can only be achieved when the Rohingya are able to return voluntarily, safely, and with dignity to their homes in Arakan, with full citizenship, security, freedom, and equal rights.
RCN believes that the international community has a moral, legal, and humanitarian responsibility to secure such a solution. The world must not accept that more than one million people remain trapped in refugee camps without a future. Increased humanitarian assistance, stronger diplomatic efforts, and concrete measures are urgently needed to ensure accountability for serious human rights violations and to create the conditions for safe return.
RCN especially calls on Norway to continue being a clear voice for the rights of the Rohingya people. As an internationally respected advocate for human rights, Norway has an important role to play in promoting the protection of the Rohingya, supporting international justice processes, and helping ensure that the Rohingya regain their fundamental rights and the possibility to return home to Arakan in safety and dignity.
RCN extends its deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and stands in solidarity with all Rohingya refugees who have once again been struck by a tragedy they should never have had to face. We urge governments, the United Nations, humanitarian organizations, and all those working for human rights to act swiftly and collectively to protect the Rohingya people and contribute to a just and lasting solution to this prolonged humanitarian crisis.
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