Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that food supplies for nearly one million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh will run out by November unless urgent global funding is secured.
“They (the Rohingya) have nowhere else to turn. They cannot work, they cannot integrate, and they certainly cannot return to Rakhine given the security situation there now – they are 100% dependent on the assistance we provide,” said WFP Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau during his Dhaka visit.
The agency needs $60 million over the next six months and $167 million over the next year to sustain operations in Cox’s Bazar camps. Skau said the US has already covered nearly 60% of the costs, but urged ASEAN, Gulf states, and OIC members to step in. “The Rohingya are not responsible for this situation, and they should count on the support of the international community,” he said.
WFP warned that cuts would push refugees to “negative coping mechanisms” or force them out of camps. Skau also praised Bangladesh’s generosity in hosting the refugees, adding that much of the food aid is procured locally, giving a boost to the domestic economy.
He highlighted WFP’s broader role in Bangladesh, including school feeding programmes, nutrition support and disaster response. “School meals attract children to classrooms, improve learning, and support the local economy,” he said, citing success in India, Brazil and South Africa.
Skau will join the September 30 UNGA side event on Rohingya and Myanmar minorities, stressing the need to keep the issue on the global agenda despite other crises. “Our money is running out… and globally WFP’s funding has already shrunk by 40%,” he warned.