The Government of Bangladesh has 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 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh.

The handover ceremony was held on 9 July at the WFP Logistics Hub in Ukhiya and was attended by Md. Saidur Rahman Khan, secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), and Coco Ushiyama, WFP representative and country director in Bangladesh. Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, additional secretary and Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), was also present.

The first consignment of 139 metric tonnes of rice comes as humanitarian needs remain high in the camps in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, where nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, including around 150,000 new arrivals since early 2024, are currently living. According to WFP, the donation will provide food assistance for around 30,000 Rohingya for one month.

The contribution also comes amid the monsoon season, with recent heavy rainfall and flooding damaging shelters, disrupting essential services and worsening conditions in several camps. With limited livelihood opportunities, Rohingya refugees remain heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance to meet their basic food needs.

Speaking at the ceremony, Md. Saidur Rahman Khan reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to supporting the displaced Rohingya population while continuing to pursue a sustainable solution that would allow them to return to Myanmar safely and with dignity. He also commended WFP for its continued food assistance and humanitarian support.

The donated rice will be distributed through WFP’s food assistance programme. Since April 2026, the agency has implemented a targeted assistance approach, providing different levels of food support based on households’ food insecurity to ensure the most vulnerable families receive the greatest assistance while making efficient use of limited humanitarian resources.

Expressing gratitude for the contribution, WFP Representative and Country Director Coco Ushiyama said the donation demonstrates Bangladesh’s continued leadership and solidarity with the Rohingya people at a time when humanitarian funding worldwide remains under significant pressure.

In addition to food assistance, WFP provides malnutrition prevention and treatment services for women and children, school feeding programmes for children attending learning centres, and initiatives promoting self-reliance and disaster risk reduction. The organisation also supports more than 33,000 smallholder farmers in host communities through climate-resilient agriculture and market linkage programmes.

WFP said it requires USD116 million over the next 12 months to sustain its operations supporting Rohingya refugees and vulnerable host communities in Bangladesh.