Govt provides rice to WFP for Rohingya food assistance

Bangladesh government is providing 400 metric tonnes of rice to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for food assistance to Rohingyas taking shelter in Cox's Bazar, with the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief formally handing over 139 metric tonnes of rice in the first phase today. The handover ceremony was held at WFP's Logistics Hub in Ukhiya, where Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Md. Saidur Rahman Khan and WFP Bangladesh Country Director Coco Ushiyama were present. 

Additional Secretary of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammad Mizanur Rahman also attended the event. Currently, around 12 lakh Rohingyas are living in camps in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char.  Of them, around 150,000 Rohingyas have newly taken shelter in Bangladesh since the beginning of 2024.

Under this first phase of rice assistance, WFP will be able to ensure food support for around 30,000 people for one month. At the event, Secretary Md. Saidur Rahman Khan said WFP's effective and impactful food assistance programme during this crisis deserves appreciation. WFP Country Director said, "WFP sincerely expresses its gratitude to the Government of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief for this timely support."