Human Rights Situation in Bangladeshi Refugee Camps More than 750, 000 Rohingya refugees fled Myanmar following the August 25, 2017 “clearance operations.” People seeking safety arrived in Bangladesh on foot, having walked for days, over mountains, hiding in jungles from the Tatmadaw, or by boat crossing the treacherous waters of the Bay of Bengal. The government of Bangladesh kept their borders open and permitted the Rohingya refugees to stay.33 According to the UNHCR, most arrived within the first three months of the refugee crisis. Women and children (40 per cent are under age 12) make up the majority of Rohingya refugee population.34 The undeveloped forest land in the Ukhiya and Teknaf Upazilas has since been transformed into the world’s largest, most densely populated refugee camps. The vast majority of refugees live in 34 extremely congested camps, near Cox’s Bazar.35 Kutupalong-Balukhali Expansion Site alone host approximately 626,500 Rohingya refugees living in an area of just 13 square kilometers.36 The humanitarian needs associated with the Rohingya refugee crisis are immense. In 2018, the UN and its partners launched a Joint Response Plan (“JRP”) calling for funds to help meet the Rohingya refugees’ needs.37 The initial call along with the subsequent 2019 and 2020 calls have not been met despite Supplementary Pleas from the UN.38 As of June 2020, JRP is only 27 per cent funded with US$273 million received, against the overall needs of US$994 million.39 33 But in March 2019, Bangladesh announced it would no longer accept Rohingya fleeing Myanmar. “Bangladesh will no longer take in Myanmar refugees,” BBC News, March 1, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47412704. 34 “Refugee Response in Bangladesh,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/myanmar_refugees. 35 Other camps include: Hakimpara, Jamtoli, Bagghona / Potibonia, Chakmarkul, Unchiprang, Shamlapur, Alikhali, Leda, Nayapara RC and Jamudira. 36 “Impacts of the Rohingya Refugee Influx on Host Communities,” United Nations Development Programme, November 2018, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Impacts%20of%20the%20Rohingya%20Refugee %20Influx%20on%20Host%20Communities.pdf. 37 “JRP for Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis - Snapshot,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, March 23, 2018, https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/62873. 38 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “JRP.” 39 “Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis Joint Response Plan 2020 funding update as of 2020-06-16,” Inter Sector Coordination Group, 11