The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has issued a stark warning that the humanitarian response for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh has entered a highly fragile phase. The agency stated on Sunday that declining international funding and rapidly worsening conditions within the sprawling camps are putting thousands of lives at risk.
The UN and its humanitarian partners recently outlined their updated 2026 Joint Response Plan (JRP) to address the ongoing crisis. The carefully prioritised appeal asks for $710.5 million to assist 1.56 million people, a figure that includes both the refugee population and the local Bangladeshi host communities. This target is actually a 26 per cent reduction from the 2025 appeal and represents the bare minimum required to maintain life-saving assistance. Fortunately, as the year reaches its midpoint, the appeal has already secured 60 per cent of its required funding.
Nearly a decade after escaping targeted violence in Myanmar, roughly 1.3 million stateless Rohingya continue to live in Bangladesh. With formal employment strictly limited, the refugee population remains heavily dependent on international aid. Data from 2025 highlights this stark reality: only 23 per cent of refugee households earned a formal income through permitted cash-for-work schemes. A further 42 per cent relied on unstable, temporary work, whilst 35 per cent had no income source whatsoever.
The consequences of reduced funding are falling hardest on the most vulnerable groups, including women, young girls, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Additionally, approximately 150,000 new refugees who have crossed the border since early 2024 are currently without proper shelter, as the existing camps are already severely congested.
Amidst these growing challenges, the Government of Finland has stepped forward, announcing a €2 million contribution to help UNHCR fill critical gaps in underfunded areas, such as skills training and resilience programmes. Furthermore, Finland is providing UNHCR with an additional €7 million in flexible core funding for 2026, which allows the agency to respond rapidly to sudden emergencies.
Ivo Freijsen, the UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh, praised Finland’s generosity. He noted that as the crisis faces rising protection risks and continued instability across the border in Myanmar, such contributions reaffirm the global community’s collective responsibility to protect Rohingya families until they can safely return home.
Mari Ahmed, the Chargée d’Affaires at the Embassy of Finland in New Delhi, echoed this sentiment. She stressed that after nearly a decade of displacement, it is crucial to invest in a better future for the Rohingya people, ensuring their plight does not fade from global attention.
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