Border News Agency
Dhaka – 8 September 2025

The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) has called on ASEAN to take urgent collective action as Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh face worsening conditions, including an imminent collapse of food supplies.

Following a mission to Cox’s Bazar, APHR warned that the World Food Programme (WFP) requires US$17 million per month to sustain rations for 1.3 million people. Without new funding, food assistance could run out by November 2025.

The delegation met Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus and expressed appreciation to the government for hosting nearly one million Rohingya refugees. However, APHR stressed that Bangladesh cannot carry the burden alone and urged ASEAN to step in.

APHR recommended the establishment of an ASEAN Humanitarian Fund and a regional platform to coordinate a long-term response. The group also pressed for accredited education and skills training for Rohingya youth, citing the Philippines’ scholarship program as an example for other member states.

Lawmakers warned that failure to act risks fueling human trafficking, arms smuggling, and regional instability. APHR co-chair Charles Santiago said ASEAN could no longer “look away” from the crisis, while board member Wong Chen noted that deep cuts from USAID have already created severe funding gaps.

The organization urged ASEAN governments and the international community to act before the crisis escalates into what it described as an “irreversible tragedy.”