WHO Cox’s Bazar: Rohingya emergency crisis - Situation Report: July 2026

Overview

In July 2026, WHO and Health Sector partners maintained continuity of essential health services while responding to monsoon-related emergencies across Rohingya camps and host communities. Key priorities included measles and dengue response, a preventive bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV) campaign, routine immunization, and emergency preparedness. Critical funding gaps continue to threaten public health surveillance, outbreak response, and essential health service delivery.

Coordination and Leadership

WHO, as Health Sector lead, continued to coordinate the health response for Rohingya refugees and host communities, supporting strategic planning, partner alignment, and evidence-based decision-making. 

Key actions:

• Analysis of the 2026 Joint Response Plan (JRP) funding status identified persistent funding gaps across critical health interventions.
• From August 2026, funding shortfalls are expected to significantly affect infectious disease surveillance, outbreak detection and response activities (P1), reducing capacity for early warning, health-risk monitoring, data analysis, and evidence-based decision-making, particularly amid the ongoing measles outbreak.
• From September 2026, funding shortfalls are expected to significantly constrain WHO's ability to coordinate partners and lead the Health Sector response.
• From October 2026, the situation may disrupt services in 13 PHCs, one Field Hospital, and four Health Posts, potentially affecting access to essential health services for an estimated 400,000 people. Referral services, rehabilitation and physiotherapy services for persons with disabilities, and community health services are also expected to be significantly affected.
• The WHO-led Health Sector convened one Cox’s Bazar-level coordination meeting, 33 camp-level coordination meetings, and one Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) meeting, supporting partner coordination on priority public health issues, funding impacts, disease surveillance, immunization, community health, emergency preparedness and response, and mental health.
• Health Sector information products, including 4W, HeRAMS, EWARS, epidemiological updates, and training calendars, remain accessible at: https://rohingyaresponse.org/sectors/coxs-bazar/health/