Abstract

The Rohingya crisis is one of the most pressing humanitarian emergencies of the 21st century. The name ‘Rohingya’ denotes an indigenous ethic minority in Myanmar, typically of an Islamic religious background. Through an in-depth analysis of secondary literature, various contemporary qualitative research, primary accounts from Rohingya women, and archival UNHCR documents obtains from the National Archives in Kew, UK, this Independent Study covers how within the Rohingya crisis, humanitarianism operates within a paradox; outwardly promoting the alleviation of suffering while continuing to reproduce systems and hierarchies of control, more specifically, the use of medical aid as a form of institutional legitimacy and cultural transference. Chapter 1: Constructing the Rohingya Refugee narrows in on the historical and contextual background to the Rohingya crisis, paying particular attention to the altering trajectories in the political, social, and economic dynamics that have contributed to the community's marginalization. Chapter 2: The Evolution of UNHCR Governance in the Rohingya Crisis argues that early UNHCR repatriation practices in the Rohingya crisis prioritized political expediency over protection, later precipitating a humanitarian shift in which the international community now focuses on humanitarian infrastructure as a means of legitimacy rather than exercising bureaucratic power to create durable solutions. Chapter 3: Redefining Health and Care approaches the Rohingya crisis through the lens of medical aid and health, highlighting how Rohingya women actively navigate, reinterpret, and at times resist humanitarian intervention, forging new expressions of identity and belonging. The Rohingya crisis illustrates how humanitarian intervention has shifted from emergency relief toward the governance of protracted displacement, transforming aid into a mechanism that both sustains life and regulates Rohingya political, social, and cultural existence.

Advisor

Ng, Margret

Department

History

Disciplines

Asian History | Health and Medical Administration | Oral History | Public Health

Keywords

Medical Aid, Humanitarianism, Rohingya, Rohingya Crisis, UNHCR, Displacement, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Medicine

Publication Date

2026

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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