UN looks to boost food security for Rohingya in Bangladesh

The WFP supports nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Read more at straitstimes.com.

DHAKA - The United Nations food agency is revamping its programme for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh from April to ensure a minimum threshold of food security for each household, a spokesperson said on March 24.

Funding pressure on humanitarian groups is growing in the ninth year of a crisis over more than 1 million Rohingya, most of whom fled violent military crackdowns in Myanmar in 2017 and live in overcrowded camps with slim access to jobs or education.

The World Food Programme said its new needs-based, tiered approach aimed to ensure the minimum food needs of all refugees were met while directing greater support to those facing the greatest challenges.

Rather than reducing overall aid, the new system will allocate monthly food assistance according to household food insecurity levels assigned through a 2025 survey, a WFP spokesperson in Bangladesh said.

“Differentiated ration size is in line with global best practice for (a) protracted crisis and will ensure an equitable distribution of food assistance to those who need it most,” added Ms Kun Li, the spokesperson.

The sole provider of monthly food assistance to Rohingya refugees, the WFP supports nearly 1.2 million people in Bangladesh, including about 150,000 new arrivals since 2024, it said.