Other plans

In 2025, IOM and UNHCR will continue to co-lead critical humanitarian responses through the Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis (JRP) and the regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (RMRP). At the same time, IOM will continue to lead the Migrant Response Plan for the Horn of Africa to Yemen and Southern Africa (MRP). These comprehensive plans span across 24 countries, addressing urgent needs and fostering resilience in some of the world's most vulnerable regions.

Bangladesh has generously provided safety to Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar for decades, especially following the events of August 2017 in Myanmar. As the crisis moves into its ninth year, the Government of Bangladesh, supported by 117 JRP partners, will continue delivering essential protection and assistance to 1.477 million Rohingya refugees and vulnerable host communities. Despite mounting resource constraints, the humanitarian community remains committed to ensuring the safety, dignity, and well-being of Rohingya refugees and vulnerable host communities.

Despite progress made by host governments, supported by the R4V platform over six years, significant challenges persist for migrants and refugees from Venezuela and other populations in transit in the 17 countries of the RMRP. According to the 2024 Refugee and Migrant Needs Analysis, 2.2 million people remain undocumented or in irregular situations due to high costs and complex legal processes. Protection is a major concern. Many refugees, migrants and people in transit are at risk of human trafficking, smuggling, and gender-based violence. Other key needs include access to formal employment for better integration, adequate shelter to prevent overcrowding and homelessness, and protection from discrimination and xenophobia. Nearly half of the refugees and migrants face food insecurity, forcing them to prioritize basic needs over long-term stability, limiting access to education and healthcare. In 2025, 230 RMRP partners, including civil society and migrant- and refugee-led organizations, will continue working with host governments to address the needs of 2.32 million migrants, refugees, and host communities (in addition to hundreds of thousands ‘on the move’), combining humanitarian assistance with long-term support to promote resilience, socioeconomic integration, and protection for affected populations and host communities.

Peru

A Venezuelan mother holds her daughter as they start a new life in Peru. Their resilience and love reflect the struggle of thousands of refugee and migrant families striving for a better future. ACH/Moises Arevalo

The MRP will continue to prioritize life-saving assistance and protection for migrants and vulnerable host communities along the Eastern and Southern African migration routes. In addition to addressing immediate humanitarian needs, MRP partners will focus on the root causes of migration, safe returns, and promoting social cohesion between migrants and local populations. In 2025, the 48 MRP partners, in support of governmental efforts throughout the region, will respond to the needs of 991,295 migrants and vulnerable host community members in the 6 countries included in the plan. As such, the MRP provides a strategic framework that ensures a whole-of-society approach, especially in areas affected by crises, which are exacerbating migration pressures and threatening the ability of communities to support migrants.

In 2025, the JRP, RMRP, and MRP will prioritize people-centered responses by integrating cross-cutting themes such as age, gender, and diversity, ensuring the needs of vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, are met. Environmental sustainability and strategies to protect from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) will also be key. The plans will emphasize community empowerment and accountability to affected populations (AAP), involving local communities in decision-making. By focusing on localization, these efforts will strengthen the capacities of local actors, ensuring tailored, effective and more sustainable responses. This approach will deliver both immediate aid and long-term support to build resilient communities.

Bossaso, Somalia

A young migrant awaits reception of services at Migration Response Centre.

IOM/Ismail Osman

Horn of Africa to Yemen and Southern Africa (MRP)

People in Need

1.4 million

People Targeted

1.0 million

Requirements (US$)

$81.0 million

Document type

Migrant Response Plan (MRP)

Countries covered

Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, United Republic of Tanzania and Yemen

Crisis overview

The Horn of Africa is a major migration hub, with thousands of migrants–many in irregular situations–departing, transiting, or returning each year along the Eastern and Southern Routes. Economic hardship, persistent poverty, scarce job opportunities and limited access to essential services drive these flows, exposing migrants to significant risks. The Eastern Route, the region’s busiest and most dangerous, accounted for nearly half of the over half a million movements tracked by August 2024.

Economic challenges, environmental instability, and political tensions, especially in Ethiopia, are driving this trend. Ethiopia’s agrarian economy, where approximately 95 per cent of the population relies on agriculture and subsistence farming, is highly vulnerable to environmental shifts. Despite rapid economic growth over the past decade, the country struggles to modernize and create quality jobs for its growing youth population.¹ In regions like Amhara, Oromia, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples, widespread economic difficulties drive many to seek better opportunities abroad.

Ethiopia faces a complex mix of economic, environmental, and political challenges. With much of the population relying on agriculture, the economy remains highly vulnerable to environmental changes. Despite a decade of strong economic growth, opportunities for job creation and sector modernization are crucial to meet the needs of a growing youth population.
In regions like Amhara, Oromia, and the Southern Nations, economic pressures drive migration, often influenced by political factors. Ethiopia's diverse ethnic landscape also poses challenges in ensuring equitable power and resource distribution, contributing to perceptions of inequality and tension.Somali migrants face similar challenges in their country of origin, including economic hardship and vulnerability to climate change, but with added burdens from long-standing conflict, political instability, and generalized violence.

Migrants along the Eastern and Southern Routes face grueling conditions and limited access to essential goods and services, including food, water and medical care. These harsh journeys often lead to exploitation by smugglers and traffickers, with many migrants detained by authorities. Data from migrant response centres in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somalia reveal that over 57 per cent of registered migrants urgently need basic services, highlighting critical gaps in humanitarian assistance. A recent study in Somalia found that a staggering 93 per cent of migrants in Bosaso required immediate support, underscoring their precarious situation. Protection risks are severe: over a third of migrants passing through response centres report incidents of physical violence or psychological abuse, with 84 per cent of women and 82 per cent of men enduring physical violence during their journeys.

Bossaso, Somalia

A female migrant, part of the growing number of women and girls taking the dangerous Eastern Route.

IOM

The Eastern Route, one of the busiest and most dangerous migration routes, is predominantly used by Ethiopian migrants, with smaller numbers from Somalia. Migrants travel through Djibouti and Somalia, cross the Gulf of Aden to Yemen, and continue to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. As of August 2024, over 150,000 migrants had left Ethiopia via this route. Although most migrants on this route are men, women and children account for 31 per cent, with 25 per cent of these children traveling alone. Djibouti remains the main transit country, recording over 134,000 entries by August, compared to nearly 15,000 entering Somalia.

In Yemen, migrant arrivals have dropped significantly, with only about 13,000 recorded between January and August 2024, down from over 90,000 arrivals during the same period in 2023. This decline stems largely from an anti-irregular migration campaign in the Bab-al-Mandab region, which has forced migrants to use alternative routes, suggesting actual arrivals may be far higher than reported. Migration along the Eastern Route is bidirectional, with both outward movements and returns. By August 2024, nearly 8,500 migrants had spontaneously returned from Yemen to Djibouti and Somalia. Additionally, non-voluntary returns from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have resulted in over 84,000 migrants being sent back to Ethiopia and Somalia. Tragically, 2024 has also seen a significant rise in migrant fatalities along the Gulf of Aden, with 48 deaths and 75 missing in October 2024 alone – making it the deadliest year on this route since tracking began in 2014.

The Southern Route, extending through Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, and other Southern African countries toward South Africa, also carries serious risks. Migrants face exploitation, abuse, human trafficking, and detention. In Kenya, migrants frequently report being exposed to robbery (54 per cent), bribery and extortion (52 per cent) and risk of detention (56 per cent). Although migrants within the United Republic of Tanzania have historically faced detention, a 2024 policy change now allows returns through brokers, inadvertently fostering informal broker networks that may increase protection risks for migrants.

Aden, Yemen

Jamal, a migrant receiving mental health and psychosocial support at a community-based care centre, prepares for his journey home. The IOM-supported center provides essential protection services to vulnerable migrants.

IOM/Eva Sibanda

Response priorities in 2025

By June 2024, MRP partners provided essential support to over 360,000 people, including migrants and host community members, across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Yemen. Migrants made up 67 per cent of those reached, with the remainder consisting of host community members. This assistance aligns with MRP’s strategic framework, focused on four objectives: life-saving assistance; quality, timely and inclusive protection support; access to safe and voluntary return, reintegration and community stabilization; and bolstered evidence, partnerships and coordination for effective humanitarian response and migration management along the Eastern and Southern routes. However, only 17 per cent of the financial requirements for 2024 were met, limiting the response to critical needs.

Looking at 2025, MRP will continue to scale up essential life-saving and protection assistance along the Eastern and Southern Routes. This includes providing food, non-food items, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene support, and medical assistance. Protection assistance will include mental health and psychosocial support as well as tailored assistance for victims of trafficking, gender-based violence, and human rights violations.

Aden, Yemen

Aden airport officials check travel documents for young male migrants boarding an IOM supported chartered “Yemenia” flight to Addis ababa, Ethiopia.

IOM/Eva Sibanda

The response will prioritize the most vulnerable, particularly migrants in transit in Djibouti and Somalia, ensuring migrant-focused facilities remain operational to address immediate needs. Voluntary return assistance remains central to MRP’s approach, given the high number of stranded migrants in Djibouti, Somalia, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Yemen. Tailored protection assistance will support victims of trafficking, survivors of gender-based violence, and unaccompanied and separated children.

MRP will further strengthen capacity-building for government authorities and front-line actors to improve the protection response and migration management. This comprehensive strategy addresses urgent needs and promotes sustainable solutions for both migrants and host communities, fostering resilience and stability across the region.

In 2025, MRP will target 991,295 migrants and host community members, requiring an estimated US$81 million. This target focuses on those most in need, reflecting reduced humanitarian funding. Although the overall target is lower, migrant vulnerability continues to rise, especially with increasing transit migration.

2024 in review: Response highlights and consequences of inaction

MRP Response highlights/achievements:

Life-saving Assistance

171,176 people (104,581 men, 32,769 women, 17,199 boys, 11,059 girls, and 5,768 host community members) received life-saving assistance from January to June 2024.

Food

39,761 people (26,895 men, 6,378 women, 4,405 boys, 2,080 girls, and three host community members) received food and/or nutrition assistance from January to June 2024.

Non-Food Items (NFI)

41,285 people (24,483 men, 7,437 women, 4,275 boys, 2,339 girls, and 2,751 host community members) received non-food items (NFIs) from January to June 2024.

Health

18,384 people (9,803 men, 3,866 women, 1,801 boys, 1,565 girls, and 1,349 host community members) received or were referred for primary health care from January to June 2024.

Shelter

20,348 people (12,534 men, 4,382 women, 2,067 boys, and 1,365 girls) received safe and dignified accommodation from January to June 2024.

Protection

• 77,684 people (57,248 men, 4,637 women, 5,084 boys, 1,712 girls, and 9,003 host community members) received quality, timely, and inclusive protection assistance and services from January to June 2024.
• 43,800 people (39,755 men, 2,098 women, 1,323 boys, and 624 girls) received mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS services) from January to June 2024.
• 1,690 victims of trafficking (1,119 men, 272 women, 248 boys, and 51 girls) received assistance and specialized protection and GBV services from January to June 2024.

Consequences of inaction

The consequences of inaction are immense due to critical underfunding of the 2024 MRP and the unmet needs of migrants and host communities along the Eastern and Southern Routes. By September 2024, the MRP was only 17 per cent funded–an all-time low–leaving over one million migrants and host community members without life-saving aid, tailored protection assistance, or voluntary return support.

Migrants

Since the start of 2024, Somalia has recorded over 30,000 transit movements, with more than 4,000 migrants entering Hargeisa and Bossaso each month. Yet, limited resources mean only five per cent receive any form of assistance, leaving thousands at risk of exploitation, malnutrition, and dehydration.

Returnees

Returns face similar shortfalls. By the end of 2024, over 300 spontaneous returnees and nearly 2,000 non-voluntary returnees from Saudi Arabia will require immediate post-arrival support. Spontaneous returnees are migrants who choose to return voluntarily, while non-voluntary returns are those forcibly returned to their country of origin by immigration authorities. Current funding, however, covers only 13 per cent of these cases, leaving most without essential protection, onward transportation assistance, and reintegration services, heightening their risk of repeated cycles irregular migration and displacement.

Safety

In Djibouti, underfunding jeopardizes the safety of approximately 3,000 migrants, who may remain stranded in transit or forced to take perilous journeys through Yemen or the desert in 2025. Additionally, an estimated 2,450 migrants will remain stranded in Yemen without voluntary return assistance, leaving them vulnerable to violence, exploitation and extreme hardship.

Rohingya Joint Response Plan (JRP)

People in Need

1.7 million

People Targeted

1.5 million

Requirements (US$)

$900.9 million

Countries covered

Bangladesh

Refugees

1.1 million

Host communities (directly and indirectly) targeted

392,000

Source: Financial requirements, people in need and people targeted for the JRP are preliminary and subject to ongoing operational planning and pending finalization and approval by partners and host countries. Final figures will be published in the full JRP doc.. Download dataset.

Crisis overview

Bangladesh has a strong tradition of generously providing refuge and lifesaving assistance to Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Since 2017, with the support of the international community, host communities – especially in Cox’s Bazar – have hosted around one million refugees, despite having some of the lowest development indicators in the country. Most Rohingya refugees, approximately 967,000 people, live in 33 government-designated camps in Cox’s Bazar with another 36,000 residing on the island of Bhasan Char. Additionally, about 568,000 Bangladeshis live in the Ukhiya and Teknaf areas where these camps are located.

Since late 2023, renewed conflict in Myanmar, particularly in Northern Rakhine State near the border, has forced tens of thousands of people to flee the country. This has led to a new wave of Rohingya refugees arriving in Bangladesh. While they began receiving basic emergency assistance in October 2024, their registration is still pending, leaving them vulnerable and putting more pressure on already strained resources in the camps. The security situation has also worsened, with escalating violence from organized groups endangering both refugees and humanitarian workers, despite efforts by Bangladeshi law enforcement.

Refugees face multiple security and protection risks including abductions, killings, extortion, trafficking, forced recruitment (including of children and youth), and other violence. Restricted movement, and limited economic, livelihood and education opportunities compound these dangers. Over 75 per cent of refugees are women and children, who are particularly vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and gender-based violence (GBV), especially in the deteriorating security environment. Aging infrastructure and slope degradation add further challenges. Tensions with the host community are rising, as they also face mounting social and economic challenges. In Bhasan Char, while security concerns are less severe, there are significant gaps in mental health and psychosocial support, and maternal and reproductive care.

Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

A woman extinguishes the remains of a smoldering fire where her shelter once stood, salvaging what she can after a devastating blaze.

Rohingya Refugee photographer/Salim Khan

Climate change has worsened the situation, and extreme weather events in the monsoon and cyclone seasons are devastating camp infrastructure, causing landslides, flooding, waterlogging, displacement and tragic fatalities. Sudden, severe fires in the camps during the dry season threaten lives and destroy humanitarian infrastructure, heightening stress and vulnerability among refugees. Host communities living on the Bay of Bengal, including Cox’s Bazar, are similarly affected by natural hazards.

Voluntary, dignified and sustainable return to Myanmar remains the primary solution to the crisis, a priority of the Government of Bangladesh, as reflected in the Joint Response Plan. Rohingya refugees express a desire to return home in safety and dignity, but current conditions in Myanmar are not conducive to sustainable repatriation.

Until then, consistent and predictable support to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh remains essential to mitigate the protection and humanitarian crisis, restore dignity and strengthen refugee resilience.

Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Six-year-old Ariz, a Rohingya refugee, braved Cyclone Hamoon with his family. Forced to flee their shelter overnight, they now face the aftermath of a storm that left their home damaged and their belongings destroyed.

UNICEF/Rashad Wajahat Lateef

Response priorities in 2025

For over seven years, the Government of Bangladesh, with the support of the humanitarian community, has provided essential assistance to Rohingya refugees and vulnerable host communities. The focus of this support is to ensure access to protection and life-saving services.

In 2024, key priorities in Cox’s Bazar included improving food access and addressing rising malnutrition. Critical efforts were made to register and document refugees, and provide essential health services. Education has also been a focus, with the Myanmar Curriculum being followed and grade 11 added for the 2024-2025 school year to support higher secondary education. Maintaining water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities is critical for livability in the camps, although these services remain concerningly underfunded. Shelter, Camp Coordination and Camp Management (Shelter-CCCM) activities aim to maintain dignified living conditions for refugees, and support the community before, during and after frequent disasters. Skills development programmes continued based on the government-endorsed framework and opportunities available in Myanmar. In 2024, efforts to verify the number of persons with disabilities in the camps were renewed, aiming to enhance access to services for this group for 2025.

Bangladesh

Despite losing both arms in an accident, 14-year-old Ehsan takes his year-end exam in a Rohingya refugee camp, writing with his right foot.

UNICEF/Rashad Wajahat Lateef

Humanitarian needs will remain high and urgent until refugees can safely and voluntarily return to Myanmar. To continue providing lifesaving protection and assistance, the Government of Bangladesh and humanitarian organizations seek $900.9 million through the 2025 Joint Response Plan (JRP). This funding aims to assist nearly 1.1 million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, along with around 392,000 vulnerable members of the host community in Cox’s Bazar. The 2025 JRP will be guided by five strategic objectives:

Support sustainable and voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.
Strengthen the protection and resilience of Rohingya refugee women, men, girls, and boys.
Deliver life-saving assistance to populations in need, including access to critical services, and safe and dignified camp living conditions.
Foster the well-being of host communities to promote peaceful coexistence through access to quality services, public service infrastructure and livelihoods activities.
Strengthen disaster risk management and address the impacts of climate change.

A new sector objective under the Protection Sector will promote peace and security by strengthening the civilian and humanitarian character of asylum of the camps and enhancing social cohesion.

Recent political changes in Bangladesh offer opportunities to make the response more sustainable, including expanding livelihood and skills-building programmes, piloting fire- and weather-resistant shelters, and aligning plans with development strategies and funding opportunities. Cross-cutting priorities like gender, diversity, disability inclusion, accountability to affected populations, protection against sexual exploitation, environmental concerns, and youth programming will continue to be mainstreamed through the response.

Bangladesh

A healthcare worker provides family planning services in a Rohingya camp, supporting women in making informed choices about their reproductive health.

UNFPA/Fahima Tajrin

2024 in review: Response highlights and consequences of inaction

The worsening security and protection environment, combined with an increasing refugee population and limited access to livelihoods, places a significant strain on protection services, including child protection, and GBV prevention, mitigation and response initiatives. The scale of these protection challenges requires further investment in protection systems to meet rising needs and requires policy and programmatic interventions to address the root causes of vulnerability and increase refugee resilience.

Efforts to improve efficiency and coordination have made service delivery in the camps more harmonized and cost-effective, but funding shortages remain a serious limitation. Although food rations were restored in August 2024 after reductions in March and June 2023, the number of people needing treatment for severe or moderate malnutrition has risen sharply. Six out of 15 key WASH indicators have declined since 2022, with reduced soap rations increasing the risk of cholera, which surged in 2024 along with Hepatitis C. Health facilities face ongoing shortages of specialized medical equipment, medicine, doctors and nurses, increasing maternal and critical case mortality.

Reduced funding has jeopardized Shelter-CCCM partners’ ability to prepare for and respond to emergencies, leading to worsening shelter conditions, with heightened risks to life and safety. The reach of livelihoods activities was reduced, limiting vocational training and income-generating opportunities for refugee households.

Gaps in site management and shelter/non-food items, protection, health and nutrition in Bhasan Char compromise access to essential services for vulnerable groups, especially pregnant women and children. Any further increase in refugee relocation to the island will require additional funds across all sectors.

Achievements

Cox’s Bazar response (January 2024 – June 2024)

Education

315,556 children, representing 69 per cent of people targeted in 2024, were enrolled in 5,994 learning facilities across 33 refugee camps and in 293 schools in the host communities.

Food security

921,042 refugees, 99 per cent of the total refugee PiN for the sector, received lifesaving food assistance, while resilience activities such as crop agricultural support (homestead gardening) reached 120,774 refugee households and 8,248 host community households.