COAST Foundation, 30 November 2025, Draft Position Paper UNHCR Partnership Practices and Undermining of Local Capacity in Rohingya Response Background The Rohingya crisis remains one of the world’s largest and most protracted humanitarian emergencies. Over one million Rohingya refugees currently live in camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, after fleeing persecution and violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, particularly following the mass displacement in August 2017. Local communities and organizations were the first responders at the onset of the crisis, and since then, local, national, and international NGOs have continued to play crucial roles in providing humanitarian support. Evidence shows that partnerships with local NGOs and CSOs not only strengthen community ownership but also significantly reduce operational costs. However, several evaluations indicate