The Republic of Korea Steps Up Support to the World Food Programme’s Food Assistance for Rohingya in Bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh — The Republic of Korea has stepped up its support to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) with a new contribution of US$2 million. The timely funding enabled WFP to reach nearly 76,000 Rohingya and provide them with a full ration of US$12.50 for two months.
“We are pleased that this latest contribution, along with Korea’s rice donation in July and August, has helped many Rohingya families meet their essential food needs. The Republic of Korea stands committed to easing the Rohingya’s plight and we hope more partners will join us in supporting them,” said PARK Young-sik, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Bangladesh.
In recent years, the Government of Korea through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has steadily contributed to WFP’s Rohingya food assistance in Bangladesh. In addition to food assistance, WFP has been supporting the population with nutrition, school feeding, resilience-building, and disaster risk reduction assistance, while also assisting host Bangladeshi communities in Cox’s Bazar with nutrition, livelihood support, and resilience-building.
Despite ongoing needs, humanitarian partners have been facing significant funding challenges, resulting in reduced assistance. In 2023, food rations had to be cut from US$12 to US$10 in March, then to US$8 in June. Following the ration cuts, WFP monitoring showed a sharp decline in food consumption among Rohingya families, with global acute malnutrition (GAM) rising to 15.1% – above the 15% emergency threshold per WHO classification, and the worst since the 2017 influx.
In addition, frequent hazards such as fires, climate shocks, including floods and landslides, and insecurity in the camps, have further deepened the Rohingya’s vulnerability.
Thanks to the international community, WFP was able to raise the ration at the beginning of 2024 and in August to restore the full ration to US$12.50 per person per month. Fortified rice was also added to the assistance package for the first time. WFP needs nearly US$80 million in funding to sustain the full ration and the rest of its operations into the next year.
“The contribution from the Republic of Korea is not only timely but critical – it has helped us save lives and alleviate hunger at a time when the Rohingya are facing unimaginable challenges. Thank you, RoK and the Korean people for your compassion and solidarity,” said Dom Scalpelli, WFP Country Director.
Photo Credit: WFP/Saikat Mojumder
Caption: A Rohingya woman leaves a WFP e-voucher outlet after purchasing food for her family in Cox’s Bazar. Since August, all Rohingya in the Cox’s Bazar camps have received their full food assistance, amounting to US$12.50 per person per month. Behind her, a porter hired by WFP helps carry her groceries.
About WFP:
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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As we mark seven years since the large-scale Rohingya refugee arrival, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, once again calls for sustained commitment from international partners to support the protection of nearly one million Rohingya hosted by Bangladesh, and to help secure solutions for a lasting end to their plight.
On 25 August 2017, some 700,000 Rohingya men, women and children were forced to flee Myanmar and seek protection in Bangladesh, joining those who had fled in previous years. The generosity by the Government and the people of Bangladesh in providing the Rohingya temporary refuge was supported by the international community and has been critical in meeting the refugees’ protection and basic needs, alongside assistance provided to local hosting communities. But in recent months security issues and funding uncertainties undermine all but the most critical and lifesaving assistance.
UNHCR welcomes Bangladesh’s renewed commitment to the refugees, set forth in Dhaka recently by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s Interim Government. We echo Dr. Yunus’s call for continued solidarity from the international community through consistent financial support and helping to ensure their “eventual repatriation to Myanmar, with safety, dignity and full rights.” Bangladesh’s humanitarian spirit, at a time of transition for the Bangladeshi people, deserves global appreciation.
In Myanmar’s Rakhine state, the escalated conflict has only worsened conditions for the Rohingya. Many remain stateless with limited access to higher education and jobs, and vulnerable to violence. Yet refugees in Bangladesh continue to say that they long to return to their homes and villages when it is safe to do so. A dignified and sustainable return to Myanmar remains the primary solution to this crisis. We call on the international community to demonstrate the political will to make this possible. We also call on the Bangladesh authorities to ensure that civilians fleeing the violence in Myanmar be allowed access to protection in Bangladesh.
Like all of us, the Rohingya aspire for better futures, not determined by religion, race, or the socio-economic conditions of their birth. In Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char, 52 per cent of the refugee population are under 18 years old, many of them born in asylum or having spent their first years in refugee camps. With meaningful support and opportunities, they are capable of immense achievement. We must invest in Rohingya children, youth, women and girls, empowering them to lift their own communities. Through partnership and collective action, we can counter the harmful impacts of generations of violence and deprivation, including the harm caused by exploitative organized groups who prey on vulnerable youth in the camps.
Photo credit: UNHCR/Mosharaf Hossain. Aerial view of the refugee camp in July 2024
Already, thousands of Rohingya have taken positively to trainings and responsibilities to support critical services in the camps, including legal counseling, mental health, community health work, operation and maintenance of water and sanitation infrastructure, shelter repair, as well as serving as first responders to weather and fire incidents. Enhancing resilience through skills, education and livelihoods programmes is critical to helping the refugees to stand on their own feet and move beyond aid dependency. UNHCR calls on stakeholders to continue their support for refugees’ self-reliance.
In 2024, humanitarian agencies have appealed for $852 million to assist 1.35 million people, including Rohingya refugees and hosting Bangladeshi communities. We urge donors and private actors to step up their funding to the Rohingya response. The Rohingya people deserve our best, as do the generous people of Bangladesh who cannot be left to shoulder this crisis alone.
COX’S BAZAR— The World Food Programme (WFP) has received a significant rice donation from the Republic of Korea (ROK) for its lifesaving assistance for the Rohingya population in Bangladesh. Today, an official handover ceremony of 15,000 MT of rice from ROK was held at WFP’s Maduchara Logistics Hub in Cox’s Bazar.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Bangladesh, H.E. Young Sik Park; Director of the Food Grain Policy Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) of Korea, Sang Moon Byun; Director of Korea Agro-Fisheries Food and Trade Corporation (aT), Danbee Lee; Md Kamrul Hasan, ndc, Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR); Md Hasan Sarwar, Additional Secretary, MoDMR, and Head of Rohingya Cell; Md. Mohsin, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food; Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC); and WFP Country Director Dom Scalpelli were present at the handover ceremony.
The humanitarian response to the Rohingya crisis has been led by the Government of Bangladesh since 2017, with the support of the international and humanitarian communities.
Since 2018, the Government of Korea, through MAFRA, has been making steady contributions to WFP’s humanitarian responses around the world. In 2024, the contribution doubled from 50,000 MT to 100,000 MT, enabling WFP to assist some 7 million people across 11 countries, including WFP Bangladesh.
Out of this, 15,000 MT of rice has been donated to Bangladesh for the first time, sufficient to feed around one million Rohingya for 1.5 months. The rice will undergo fortification to enhance its nutritional value before being distributed to Rohingya families in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char Island camps.
Md. Kamrul Hasan, ndc, Secretary, MoDMR said, “This humanitarian aid was very much needed from the Republic of Korea, as we struggled to feed the Rohingya last year. We are very much thankful for the longstanding partnership with Korea.”
“The Republic of Korea is dedicated to supporting humanitarian crises globally, particularly protracted ones. We commend the Government of Bangladesh for its steadfast commitment to the entire Rohingya population seeking refuge in their country over the years. With this donation, we help restore the full ration, alleviate hunger and malnutrition, and contribute to their overall well-being. We take pride in standing with WFP and the people and Government of Bangladesh in this vital mission,” remarked Sang Moon BYUN, Director of the Food Grain Policy Division, MAFRA.
“The donation is extremely timely and crucial to our efforts to restore the full ration for the Rohingya population. As their vulnerabilities continue to deepen amid reduced funding, unrelenting climate shocks, repeated hazards, and deteriorating security, our collective responsibility is to ensure their basic needs are met until they can go home safely one day. We thank MAFRA for this significant contribution and the Korean public for their solidarity with the Rohingya people,” said Dom Scalpelli, WFP Country Director.
Following the handover ceremony, the Korean delegation visited an e-voucher outlet in the camps to observe the distribution of the rice donation. They also toured a rice fortification plant in Cox’s Bazar, where the Korean rice is fortified.
About WFP:
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
Follow us on X @wfp_bangladesh, Facebook @WFPinBangladesh
About the Republic of Korea’s Rice Assistance:
The Republic of Korea has been a significant supporter of WFP’s efforts to combat hunger. Since 2018, the ROK has provided substantial rice donations to multiple countries, aiming to alleviate food shortages and support vulnerable populations. This initiative reflects the ROK’s commitment to international humanitarian aid and global food security.
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh (19 June 2024): UN agencies and the entire humanitarian community are deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of 10 people, including at least seven Rohingya refugees, as heavy monsoon rains battered refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday, causing flash floods and landslides.
According to initial reports, some 7,794 refugees have been affected across the 33 camps in Cox’s Bazar, with an estimated 1,191 shelters damaged or destroyed. Critical infrastructure, such as learning centers, health facilities, mosques, latrines, water points and bathing cubicles have also been damaged by the rising water and mudslides.
Since early morning, partners and refugee volunteers have been helping families in affected areas relocate to safer shelters and communal facilities until the waters recede.
UN agencies together with humanitarian partners, in coordination with the Government of Bangladesh, started to provide hot meals, high energy biscuits and post-disaster kits to the refugees, paying special attention to extremely vulnerable individuals, including older people and those living with disabilities.
In the last 24 hours alone, due to the active monsoon, very heavy rainfall (≥ 89 mm) fell on camps in Cox’s Bazar hosting some 930,000 Rohingya refugees. It is expected that there will be more heavy downpours as the monsoon season stretches at least over the next three months. As Bangladesh is currently still recovering from Cyclone Remal which, less than a month ago, displaced a large number of Bangladeshi, heavy rains in the past week has led to widespread inundation across the country.
ভারীবর্ষনে কক্সবাজারের শরণার্থী শিবিরে ভয়াবহ আকস্মিক বন্যা ও ভূমিধ্বস
কক্সবাজার, বাংলাদেশ (১৯ জুন ২০২৪): গত মঙ্গলবার বাংলাদেশের কক্সবাজারে ভারী মৌসুমী বৃষ্টিপাতের ফলে আকস্মিক বন্যা ও ভূমিধ্বসে কমপক্ষে সাতজন রোহিঙ্গা শরণার্থীসহ ১০ জনের মর্মান্তিক মৃত্যুর ঘটনায় জাতিসংঘের বিভিন্ন সংস্থা এবং মানবিক সহায়তা প্রদানকারী সংস্থাগুলো গভীরভাবে শোকাহত।
প্রাথমিক প্রতিবেদন অনুযায়ী, কক্সবাজারের ৩৩টি শিবিরে প্রায় ৭ হাজার ৭৯৪ জন শরণার্থী ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত হয়েছেন, যার মধ্যে আনুমানিক ১ হাজার ১৯১টি আশ্রয়ণ ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত বা ধ্বংস হয়েছে। ক্রমবর্ধমান পানি ও ভূমিধসে শিক্ষা কেন্দ্র, স্বাস্থ্যসেবা কেন্দ্র, মসজিদ, ল্যাট্রিন, পানির উৎস এবং গোসলখানার মতো গুরুত্বপূর্ণ অবকাঠামোগুলো ক্ষতিগ্রস্থত হয়েছে।
সকাল থেকে মানবিক সহায়তা প্রদানকারী সংস্থাগুলো এবং শরণার্থী স্বেচ্ছাসেবীরা পানি না কমা পর্যন্ত ক্ষতিগ্রস্থ এলাকার পরিবারগুলিকে নিরাপদ আশ্রয় এবং বিভিন্ন সুবিধাপ্রদানকারী কেন্দ্রগুলোতে স্থানান্তরিত করতে সহায়তা করছেন।
বাংলাদেশ সরকারের সংশ্লিষ্ট কর্তৃপক্ষের সাথে সমন্বয় করে জাতিসংঘের সংস্থাগুলো মানবিক সহায়তা প্রদানকারী সংস্থাগুলোকে সঙ্গে নিয়ে শরণার্থীদের অধিক পুষ্টিসম্পন্ন বিস্কুট ও রান্না করা খাবার, দুর্যোগ পরবর্তী ব্যবহার্য গৃহস্থালী জিনিসপত্র সরবরাহ শুরু করেছে, বয়স্ক ও প্রতিবন্ধীসহ অত্যন্ত ঝুঁকিপূর্ণ ব্যক্তিদের প্রতিও বিশেষ মনোযোগ দেওয়া হচ্ছে।
গত ২৪ ঘণ্টায় অতি ভারী বর্ষণের কারণে ক্যাম্পে ৮৯ মিলিমিটারের বেশি বৃষ্টিপাত রেকর্ড হয়েছে এই ক্যাম্পগুলোতে প্রায় ৯ লাখ ৩০ হাজার রোহিঙ্গা শরণার্থী রয়েছেন। কমপক্ষে আগামী তিন মাস ধরে বর্ষা মৌসুম থাকায় আরও ভারী বৃষ্টিপাতের সম্ভাবনা রয়েছে। এক মাসেরও কম সময়ের মধ্যে ঘূর্ণিঝড় রিমালের আঘাতে বিপুলসংখ্যক বাংলাদেশি বাস্তুচ্যুত হয়েছেনে এবং সে পরিস্থিতি কাটিয়ে উঠার চেষ্টা চলছে। এরই মধ্যে গত এক সপ্তাহে সারাদেশে ব্যাপক বন্যা পরিস্তিতি দেখা দিয়েছে।
GENEVA – UN agencies, with other humanitarian partners, today called on the international community to redouble efforts to protect and assist Rohingya refugees and their host communities. Bangladesh is generously hosting nearly a million Rohingya refugees, most of whom fled Myanmar seven years ago.
The 2024 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisisis being launched under the leadership of the Bangladeshi authorities. The funding appeal seeks $852.4 million to reach some 1.35 million people including Rohingya refugees and host communities.
The plan and related financial needs is being presented to donors in Geneva by Ambassador Masud Bin Momen, Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh; Mohammad Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Principal Secretary to the Bangladesh Prime Minister; Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees; and Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration.
International solidarity with Bangladesh and refugee protection is needed more than ever as the conflict in Myanmar escalates.
The Joint Response Plan brings together 117 partners, nearly half of them Bangladeshi organizations. It aims to help some 1 million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar and on the island of Bhasan Char, and 346,000 from host communities, with food, shelter, health care, access to drinkable water, protection services, education and livelihood opportunities and skills development.
Some 95 per cent of Rohingya households in Bangladesh are vulnerable and remain dependent on humanitarian assistance. Sustained assistance is critically and urgently needed, particularly by women and children, who make up more than 75 per cent of the targeted refugee population, and face heightened risks of abuse, exploitation and gender-based violence. More than half of the refugees in the camps are under 18, languishing amidst limited opportunities for education, skills-building and livelihoods.
The Government of Bangladesh, local communities and aid agencies need sustained international support to respond to increasing needs as this humanitarian crisis remains largely out of the international spotlight.
Underfunding in previous years has had serious implications as Rohingya women, children and men — who fled to Bangladesh to escape violence and persecution in Myanmar — struggle to meet basic needs and their plight risks slipping into obscurity. Rohingya refugees remain in limbo relying on humanitarian assistance to survive in crowded camps plagued by insecurity and natural disasters.
The international community must continue funding life-saving and life-sustaining assistance to refugees in the camps, investing in education, skills training and livelihood opportunities. This is a lifeline to refugees struggling to meet their basic needs and supplement limited humanitarian assistance. Steps are also needed to ensure pledges made at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva in December are fulfilled. These included enhancing self-reliance for Rohingya to provide hope and reduce the number of dangerous boat journeys taken.
DHAKA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is gearing up to restore its critical food assistance for the entire Rohingya population in Cox’s Bazar. Starting 1 January 2024, WFP will increase the food ration from US$8 to US$10 per person per month, and gradually add locally fortified rice to its food assistance package.
“The year 2023 was a tumultuous one for the Rohingya in Bangladesh, who lived through multiple fire outbreaks, cyclones, and, for the first time, ration cuts. The rapid deterioration of the food and nutrition situation in the camps is extremely worrying. Through all this, the donor community stood with the Rohingya – it’s all thanks to its generous contributions we can now have this increase and also add locally fortified rice to WFP’s food assistance package,” said Dom Scalpelli, WFP Country Director in Bangladesh.
A sharp decline in resources led to a reduction in the Rohingya’s food entitlement in 2023. In March, the food voucher value for the entire population in the Cox’s Bazar camps was reduced from US$12 to US$10, and in June, to US$8 per person per month. Even before the ration cut, 40 percent of children under five were chronically malnourished and 12 percent were acutely malnourished.
Since then, WFP’s monitoring has shown a sharp decrease in food consumption and an increase in negative coping mechanisms among the population. By November, 90 percent of the population did not have adequate food consumption, up from 79 percent in June. Even more worrying is the fast deterioration of the nutrition status among children.
The preliminary results of the latest nutrition survey show that global acute malnutrition (GAM) has risen to 15.1 percent – the highest since the onset of the 2017 influx, exceeding the emergency threshold of 15 percent, according to WHO emergency classification.
In 2023, the refugees again endured multiple fire hazards and repeatedly cyclones, monsoon floods and landslides. Their vulnerability has further deepened due to the rising violence and insecurity in the camps, as well as human trafficking. As of 30 November, 3,468 Rohingya had embarked on risky boat journeys, almost half are women and children.
In addition to increasing the ration, WFP will begin the distribution of locally fortified rice to the Rohingya population. This will commence in one or two camps and gradually extend to all camps in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char Island.
“We remain fully committed to the Rohingya while supporting vulnerable Bangladeshis who have so generously hosted the Rohingya over the years. We are immensely grateful to all our donors for their unwavering support, and we count on them to step up even further to ensure we can provide the Rohingya with a full and nutritious ration in 2024,” added Scalpelli.
WFP currently has a funding gap of US$61 million to increase the food ration to the full amount, now US$12.5, with locally fortified rice added.
Photo Credit: WFP/Saikat Mojumder
Caption: Rohingya refugees collect their monthly food ration at a World Food Programme (WFP) e-voucher outlet in Cox’s Bazar. Starting January 1, 2024, WFP will increase the ration from $8 to $10 and gradually add locally fortified rice to its food assistance package.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
Follow us on X @wfp_bangladesh, Facebook @WFPinBangladesh
For more information please contact:
Kun Li, Head of Partnerships, Communications and Reporting, WFP Bangladesh
