Arakan News Agency
The Republic of Korea has made a substantial donation of 20,265 tons of rice to the Government of Bangladesh and the World Food Programme (WFP) to support over 1.1 million Rohingya refugees residing in camps and cover their food needs for approximately two months.
The delivery ceremony was held at the WFP warehouse in Chittagong, attended by Muhammad Mustafa Zaman Rahman, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Ambassador Young-sik Park, the Republic of Korea’s representative to Bangladesh, and Domenico Scalpelli, the WFP’s Country Director.
Rahman emphasized that the Korean contribution comes at a critical time, with humanitarian needs rising sharply, praising the partnership and continuous support of Korea for the Rohingya crisis.
Ambassador Young-sik Park stated that his country was once one of the largest beneficiaries of WFP aid, adding, “Today we proudly stand as a donor, supporting those in need.”
Director of Myanmar Affairs at the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry, Mohammad Murshid Rahman Talukder, expressed appreciation to the Republic of Korea for its ongoing humanitarian and diplomatic support regarding the Rohingya issue.
Domenico Scalpelli, WFP’s Country Director, reaffirmed the program’s commitment to continuing work to support refugees and host communities, warning of the urgent need for more funding to ensure the basic needs are met and maintain the dignity of beneficiaries.
This is the second such donation in two years, following Korea’s donation of 15,000 metric tons of rice in 2024. The new rice includes fortified grains with essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamins A, B1, B12, zinc, folic acid, and iron to improve nutrition among women and children in the camps.
This donation reflects Korea’s growing international solidarity with the Rohingya and Bangladeshi host communities and highlights its transition from an aid-receiving to a humanitarian aid-donor country globally.
Last October, the Republic of Korea made a financial contribution of 5 million dollars to support the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in providing humanitarian assistance and essential protection to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, focusing on enhancing inclusion and protection for persons with disabilities and providing necessary cooking gas.
Bangladesh hosts approximately 1.3 million Rohingya refugees in the “Cox’s Bazar” camps, which the United Nations classifies as the world’s largest refugee camp, where refugees live in difficult humanitarian conditions since fleeing Myanmar in 2017 due to the “genocide” campaign launched against them by the Myanmar army. Renewed waves of their displacement to Bangladesh have continued since the outbreak of fighting in the Arakan State between the Myanmar army and the Arakan Buddhist militias (Arakan Army) in November 2023.
