In late August 2017, an eruption of violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar, caused the mass movement of more than half a million people – mostly Rohingya women, children and older people – across the border into Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. They arrived on foot and by boat, exhausted and hungry, with few possessions and very little money or food. 

With more than a million people in urgent need of life-saving assistance, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched an appeal in October 2017, raising a total of £30 million, including £5 million from the UK Government’s Aid Match scheme.

During the first six months of the response, life-saving assistance was provided to at least 351,000 people, while during the second phase at least 309,000 people were reached. This report reviews the response, brings together learnings and makes recommendations for the future.