Bangladesh hands WFP 139 tonnes of rice for Rohingya response
The Government of Bangladesh handed over 139 tonnes of rice to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on 9 July as the first tranche of a 400-tonne donation to support Rohingya refugees.
The consignment will enable WFP to provide food assistance to around 30,000 Rohingya for one month.
The handover ceremony was held at WFP's Logistics Hub in Ukhiya. Md Saidur Rahman Khan, secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, and Coco Ushiyama, representative and country director of WFP Bangladesh, attended the event.
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Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, additional secretary and refugee relief and repatriation commissioner, was also present.
Nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees live in camps in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char, including an estimated 150,000 who have arrived since early 2024, according to WFP.
Recent monsoon rains and flooding have damaged shelters, disrupted movement and essential services and caused several deaths across parts of the camps. With few livelihood opportunities, the population remains dependent on humanitarian assistance to meet basic food needs.
Saidur Rahman Khan reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to supporting the Rohingya population while pursuing a sustainable solution that would allow them to return to Myanmar safely and with dignity.
"This contribution reflects our continued commitment to ensuring that humanitarian assistance is sustained to help the Rohingya population meet its basic needs," he said, also commending WFP's food assistance programme.
The donated rice will be distributed through the WFP's food assistance operations. Since April 2026, WFP has provided differentiated ration levels based on individual households' food insecurity, allowing the most vulnerable families to receive the highest level of assistance.
Ushiyama thanked the Government of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief for the contribution.
"At a time when humanitarian resources worldwide are under significant pressure, this support speaks volumes about Bangladesh's continued leadership and solidarity with the Rohingya people," she said.
Alongside food assistance, WFP provides malnutrition prevention and treatment services for women and children, school meals for children attending learning centres and programmes focused on self-reliance and disaster-risk reduction.
WFP and its partners also support more than 33,000 smallholder farmers in host communities through climate-resilient agriculture and market-linkage programmes. The farmers are connected with local markets and the WFP's food assistance operations.
WFP said it urgently needs to raise $116 million over the next 12 months to sustain its operations.
"Humanitarian assistance remains a lifeline for the entire Rohingya community in Bangladesh. We call on the international community to continue standing with Rohingya families as this protracted crisis continues," Ushiyama said.
