Arakan News Agency
Vatican Minister Cardinal Michael Felix Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, expressed deep regret over the continued suffering of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, describing the international community’s failure to find a solution to their crisis as “a real shame.”
Speaking at a press conference held on Tuesday at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference Centre of Bangladesh in Dhaka, Cardinal Czerny said he had met internally displaced people in Narayanganj and Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, describing their situation as extremely difficult and unbearable due to statelessness, unemployment, and years of restrictions inside the camps.
He stressed the importance of maintaining ongoing dialogue with authorities to find both local and international solutions, emphasizing that “the exchange of viewpoints can help address the crisis rather than closing doors.”
During his visit to Bangladesh, Cardinal Czerny met displaced families in Modonpur and visited Rohingya camps in Ukhia. He also met street children, staff members of Caritas Bangladesh, and participated in interfaith prayers, family visits, and children’s center activities.
The Vatican minister called on the international community to renew its solidarity with the Rohingya people, warning of declining global attention and reduced humanitarian aid. “The situation is becoming more difficult, and the world is showing less solidarity, while the need for support is now greater than ever,” he said.
Cardinal Czerny added, “All organizations — Christian and others — must continue to support those in need and respond to their real challenges. We are helping, and we must continue to help.”
Attending the conference alongside Cardinal Czerny were Francesca Dona, Regional Coordinator for Asia; Bishop Gervas Rozario, Chairman of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace; and Fr. Liton Hubert Gomes, Secretary of the Commission.
Bangladesh currently hosts around 1.3 million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar camps, which the United Nations classifies as the largest refugee settlement in the world. Refugees there continue to live in dire humanitarian conditions since fleeing Myanmar in 2017 following a genocidal military campaign by the Myanmar army. New waves of displacement have since continued amid renewed fighting in Arakan State between the Myanmar military and Buddhist militias from the Arakan Army (AA) since November 2023.
