Highlights Displaced Rohingya adolescents face intersecting vulnerabilities during COVID-19. Food insecurity has been exacerbated for Rohingya adolescents during the pandemic. Resuming education is key for the long-term progress of Rohingya adolescents. Health crises in humanitarian contexts negatively impact adolescent trajectories.

Both malnutrition and poor mental health are leading sources of global mortality, disease, and disability. The fields of global food security and nutrition (FSN) and mental health have historically been seen as separate fields of research. Each have undergone substantial transformation, especially from clinical, primary care orientations to wider, sociopolitical approaches to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. In recent years, the trajectories of research on mental health and FSN are further evolving into an intersection of evidence. FSN impacts mental health through various pathways such as food insecurity and nutrients important for neurotransmission. Mental health drives FSN outcomes, for example through loss of motivation and caregiving capacities. They are also linked through a complex and interrelated set of determinants. However, the heterogeneity of the evidence base limits inferences about these important dynamics. Furthermore, interdisciplinary projects and programmes are gaining ground in methodology and impact, but further guidance in integration is much needed. An evidence-driven conceptual framework should inform hypothesis testing and programme implementation. The intersection of mental health and FSN can be an opportunity to invest holistically in advancing thinking in both fields.

Integration of environmental, economic, and social approaches to development is crucial to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Global evidence reflects that this integration is often imbalanced, with development policies and programs in many low- and middle-income countries placing greater emphasis on economic needs than environmental vulnerabilities. Drawing on qualitative research undertaken in mid-2021, this article explores how limited integration of environmental, economic, and social aspects has affected the development of Rohingya refugee adolescents who were forcibly displaced from Myanmar to the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. Cox’s Bazar is one of the most climate-vulnerable areas in Bangladesh and is subject to extreme rainfall, landslides, and flash floods. The article highlights the ways in which Rohingya adolescents are highly vulnerable to both the direct and indirect consequences of these environmental conditions due to poverty, and inadequate housing infrastructure and water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. It discusses the ways in which these environmental challenges intersect with socioeconomic disadvantage, especially limited education, skills development, and livelihood opportunities for young people, which are in turn compounded by limited voice and agency, and a dearth of security and protection measures. For some Rohingya adolescent girls and boys, the findings suggests that these multi-dimensional vulnerabilities place them at risk of exploitation by traffickers, smugglers, extremist groups, and criminals. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of explicitly integrating environmental aspects into policy and programs that support Rohingya adolescents to develop their full capabilities, and encouraging their meaningful participation in policy dialogues and accountability processes.

Child marriage among Rohingya refugees living in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, is driven by economic strain and deep-seated gender norms. Mounting evidence shows the harmful effects of child marriage, and SDG 5.3 underpins a global impetus to eliminate it. Our mixed-methods research across refugee camps in Ukhia and Teknaf Upazilas included quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews (IDIs) with married and unmarried girls and their parents, and focus group discussions (FGDs) with parents of married and unmarried girls, boys, and community members to understand Rohingya perspectives on child marriage, the role of norms in displacement, and how married girls’ capabilities are impacted by their marital status. We find that married girls face increased gender-based violence (GBV) risks, including intimate partner violence (IPV), and greater mental distress. While norms are shifting for older Rohingya women, married girls are excluded from social participation or personal growth beyond the household. We argue that involving married girls in community activities and vocational training designed according to local market needs may empower married girls.

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