Bangladesh has started delivering a 400-metric-tonne rice donation to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help provide food assistance for Rohingya refugees living in camps in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char.
The first consignment, consisting of 139 metric tonnes of rice, was formally handed over on Friday during a ceremony at the WFP Logistics Hub in Ukhiya.
The event was attended by the Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Md Saidur Rahman Khan, and WFP Bangladesh Country Director Coco Ushiyama.
Additional Secretary of the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, was also present.
According to government officials, Bangladesh is hosting around 1.2 million Rohingya refugees across camps in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char.
The refugee population has increased further since the beginning of 2024, with an estimated 150,000 people arriving in Bangladesh after fleeing renewed instability in neighbouring Myanmar.
The initial shipment of rice is expected to provide food assistance for approximately 30,000 refugees for one month, helping WFP continue its humanitarian operations at a time when international aid agencies face growing pressure to meet rising needs.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Md Saidur Rahman Khan praised the World Food Programme for its continued efforts to provide food assistance throughout the prolonged humanitarian crisis.
He said the organisation’s work had played an important role in supporting displaced Rohingya families.
WFP Bangladesh Country Director Coco Ushiyama thanked the Government of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief for the contribution, describing the rice donation as timely support that would help sustain food assistance for vulnerable refugee communities.
Bangladesh has hosted Rohingya refugees for several years following successive waves of displacement from Myanmar.
Humanitarian agencies continue to stress the importance of sustained international support as food, shelter, healthcare and other essential services remain under significant strain.
The latest rice donation reflects the continued cooperation between the Bangladesh government and the World Food Programme in addressing one of the region’s largest and longest-running humanitarian emergencies.
