COX’S BAZAR : The Government of Bangladesh, through the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), on 9 July handed over the first tranche of a 400-metric-tonne rice donation to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support food assistance for the Rohingya population living in Bangladesh

The ceremony was held at WFP’s Logistics Hub in Ukhiya and attended by Md. Saidur Rahman Khan, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR) and Ms. Coco Ushiyama, Representative and Country Director, WFP Bangladesh. Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Additional Secretary, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), was also present.

The first tranche of 139 mt of rice comes at a critical time as humanitarian needs remain high in the camps in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, where nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, including an estimated 150,000 new arrivals since early 2024, reside. The rice donation will help WFP support around 30,000 Rohingya for one month.

Living in densely populated camps built on steep hillsides, Rohingya families are highly vulnerable to natural hazards. Recent heavy monsoon rains and flooding have once again deepened hardship across parts of the camps, damaging shelters, disrupting movement and essential services, and tragically claiming several lives. With limited livelihood opportunities, the population remains fully dependent on humanitarian assistance to meet its basic food needs.

Speaking at the ceremony, Md. Saidur Rahman Khan, Secretary of MoDMR, reaffirmed the Government of Bangladesh’s continued commitment to supporting the Rohingya population.

“For decades, Bangladesh has demonstrated compassion and solidarity by hosting forcibly displaced Rohingya people. This contribution reflects our continued commitment to ensuring that humanitarian assistance is sustained to help the Rohingya population meet its basic needs, while we continue to advocate for a sustainable solution to this crisis that will allow these families to return to Myanmar safely and with dignity. I would also like to commend WFP for its contribution to this response, particularly its food assistance programme, which has been both efficient and impactful.”

The rice contribution will be provided to Rohingya through WFP’s food assistance operations, which are regularly reviewed to ensure effectiveness. Since April 2026, WFP has implemented targeted assistance, providing differentiated levels of rations based on households’ level of food insecurity. The approach ensures that the most food-insecure families continue receiving the highest level of assistance while maximizing limited humanitarian resources.

WFP Representative and Country Director Ms. Coco Ushiyama expressed appreciation for the Government’s support. “WFP is deeply grateful to the Government of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief for this timely contribution. At a time when humanitarian resources worldwide are under significant pressure, this support speaks volume of Bangladesh’s continued leadership and solidarity with the Rohingya people.”

In addition to food, WFP provides lifesaving malnutrition prevention and treatment services for women and children, school feeding for children attending learning centres, and self-reliance and disaster risk reduction initiatives. In the host communities, WFP and partners support more than 33,000 smallholder farmers through climate-resilient agriculture and market linkage support, connecting them to local markets and WFP’s food assistance operations for the Rohingya response.

To sustain these operations, WFP urgently needs to raise USD 116 million over the next 12 months.

“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,” added Ms. Ushiyama.