By T. Faruque Rha

In the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, a crisis unfolds every single day quietly, persistently, and often unseen. It is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a complex layered crises consist of water crisis, a climate crisis, a gender crisis, a protection crisis, etc. All endured by one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, the Rohingya.

I am T Faruque Rha, Founder of the Rohingya Environmental Protection Network (REPN). As a young climate activist working for years within these camps, I have witnessed firsthand the reality that many outside the camps have yet to fully understand.

The Rohingya people are globally recognized as survivors of genocide and systemic injustice. But what remains largely invisible is how deeply they are also affected by climate change. Floods, landslides, extreme heat, water scarcity, and environmental degradation are not abstract threats here they are daily realities. Yet, the lack of awareness is another crisis within these crises.

Most Rohingya refugees have little to no access to climate education. Many do not know what the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are, or what environmental protection truly means for their lives. This gap is not their failure it is a global failure to include them in conversations about climate resilience and sustainability.

At REPN, we are trying to change that. We work to raise awareness, educate communities, and promote sustainable practices within the camps. We engage youth, empower volunteers, and try to build a sense of environmental responsibility even in the most challenging conditions. But our efforts are constantly limited by one harsh reality: lack of funding and insufficient global support.

The world speaks often about refugees. There are policies, conferences, and commitments. But when it comes to Rohingya refugees, the attention fades. The support weakens. The urgency disappears.

So we must ask

Is the world ignoring our voices?

Or has it simply not heard us yet?

Because if the world truly heard us if it truly listened it would know that climate justice cannot exist while millions of Rohingya are left behind.

Rohingya refugees deserve more than survival.

They deserve inclusion.

They deserve education.

They deserve climate justice.

The global community must move beyond statements and start taking meaningful action. Support refugee-led initiatives. Invest in climate education. Amplify Rohingya voices. Recognize that sustainability cannot be achieved if the most vulnerable are excluded.

We are not asking for sympathy.

We are asking for empathy and equity.

And until that happens, the crisis will continue not just in the camps, but in the conscience of the world.

T. Faruque Rha is the founder of the Rohingya Environmental Protection Network (REPN).