UN warns of $610m shortfall in aid for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

DHAKA: United Nations agencies assisting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have warned of a major funding gap of $610 million for essential humanitarian support, saying the response is at a particularly difficult stage as needs continue to grow while resources shrink.

The warning was issued on Wednesday by the UN-led Rohingya Refugee Response, which said the situation has become increasingly urgent in the camps in Cox’s Bazar, where more than a million Rohingya refugees are living after fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar.

According to the UN, many of the refugees escaped a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017. The world body has described the displacement crisis as one of the largest and longest-running refugee situations globally.

In a statement, the UN-led response mechanism said the operation is under severe pressure this year as humanitarian demands rise and available funding falls amid multiple crises around the world. "The Rohingya response faces one of its most critical junctures since the initial influx," the statement added.

The statement added that population levels and humanitarian requirements are increasing sharply, even as donor support is under strain because of broader global humanitarian pressures and competing emergencies.

Funding appeal and affected population

The UN is seeking more than $710 million in total to support about 1.56 million people. That figure includes 1.2 million Rohingya refugees as well as 307,000 vulnerable Bangladeshis living in surrounding host communities.

Of the total amount requested, the organisation said $610 million represents the bare minimum needed for the most urgent life-saving and protection activities.

The UN said Rohingya refugees remain overwhelmingly dependent on humanitarian assistance, nearly nine years after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar. It also noted that new arrivals have continued to enter Bangladesh.

According to the organisation, more than 140,000 Rohingya arrivals were registered in 2025.

UN officials urge sustained attention

Carol Flore-Smereczniak, the UN chief in Bangladesh, told reporters in Dhaka that it was vital to ensure the emergency does not fade from international attention.

crisis doesn't become forgotten

The latest appeal comes as the long-running plight of the Rohingya remains unresolved, with refugees continuing to rely on outside assistance for basic needs in the camps.

Background to the crisis

The 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar, during which Rohingya villages were burned and civilians were killed, remains the subject of a genocide case before the United Nations’ top court in The Hague.

The UN’s latest warning underscores the scale of the humanitarian challenge in Bangladesh, where both refugees and vulnerable members of host communities are included in the current aid plan. The organisation has said the requested funding is necessary to maintain the most critical interventions as the refugee population and humanitarian needs continue to rise.