United Nations Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar Noeleen Heyzer has said it is critical that the international community continues to seek comprehensive, durable and inclusive solutions to the Rohingya crisis. “We cannot let this become a forgotten crisis,” said Special Envoy Heyzer on her four-day mission to Bangladesh.    On the five-year mark of the forced mass displacement of Rohingya from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, Bangladesh continues to show “great generosity and leadership” in hosting refugees, which requires renewed international attention and equitable burden-sharing by countries in the region and beyond, she said on Thursday. In their productive discussions, the Special Envoy thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her leadership and expressed the United Nations’ deep appreciation to the people and government of Bangladesh for their immense contribution. “I will continue to advocate for greater leadership of countries in the region in supporting Bangladesh and leveraging their influence with Myanmar to create conducive conditions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of refugees,” she said. She also highlighted Bangladesh’s pivotal role in working with ASEAN. “The generosity of Bangladesh and host communities towards Rohingya refugees in their time of need conveys a critical need for greater international and regional commitment to burden share and ensure that the Rohingya do not become forgotten,” Special Envoy Heyzer said. She highlighted the major pressures on Bangladesh as host of one of the largest refugee populations in the world, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. About 1 million Rohingya refugees are still living in camps in Bangladesh, with tens of thousands more across the region, and over 140,000 internally displaced persons remaining confined in camps in Rakhine. Driven by desperate hardship conditions, Rohingya people continue to undertake perilous land and sea journeys that expose them to criminal exploitation including human trafficking and gender-based violence. The Special Envoy emphasized that it was ultimately Myanmar’s responsibility to establish conducive conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return to Myanmar of all refugees and forcibly displaced persons. The rights and security of the Rohingya people must be guaranteed and embedded in Myanmar-led solutions towards a peaceful, democratic and inclusive future guided by the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. In the context of grave human right violations and unmet protection needs in Myanmar, finding solutions to this crisis and addressing needs and human rights of Rohingya in Rakhine State must include the meaningful participation of those affected, especially Rohingya refugees. During her visit to the refugee camps in Bangladesh, Special Envoy Heyzer witnessed first-hand the hard work of United Nations agencies among many actors, including civil society organisations, local NGOs and INGOs that provided critical assistance. “In this operationally challenging environment, I saw Rohingya resilience and hope, innovative and empowering activities carried out by UN agencies and partners, as well as Bangladeshi authorities’ leadership, which all come together while the refugees remain in Bangladesh and waiting for lasting solutions to their plight,” she said. Read: Will continue to pursue long-term solution to Rohingya crisis: Foreign Missions