Japan has provided $5.4 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) for food assistance to the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char.
An Exchange of Notes was signed by Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori, and WFP Country Director Domenico Scalpelli, according to a press release.
WFP’s assistance is the only reliable source of food for the nearly 1 million Rohingya living in Bangladesh.
In March, this lifeline had to be cut, from the full amount of $12 to $10, and again in June, to $8 per person, per month in the Cox’s Bazar camps.
To cope, families may resort to harmful practices that make them even more vulnerable to malnutrition, exploitation, human trafficking and other protection risks.
“We are deeply grateful for Japan’s latest funding and their steadfast support over the years,” said WFP Country Director Scalpelli.
“While we are encouraged by the partial increase of the rations, the escalating hunger and malnutrition rates in the camps highlight the urgent need to fully restore the ration,” he said.
We rely on Japan and the rest of the donor community to continue their vital support, ensuring that we can meet, at least, the Rohingya’s basic food and nutrition needs until they can be repatriated safely,” he added.
Ambassador Iwama expressed his hope that the support from Japan would improve the living conditions of both Rohingya and host communities.
“We are pleased to provide $5.4 million in life-saving food assistance to the displaced Rohingya people through WFP, building on the $4.4 million provided in June last year,” he said.
“We hope that this assistance will help to alleviate the severe food crisis, reduce the risk of disaster and improve the quality of life of the people living in the camps,” he added.
This contribution underscores Japan’s unwavering commitment to humanitarian aid and our dedication to addressing hunger and malnutrition. By supporting the Rohingya community, we alleviate immediate suffering and contribute to the broader goal of fostering stability and peace in the region” he said.
Since the beginning of the emergency in August 2017, Japan has been a steadfast supporter of the Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh, contributing over $220 million to WFP and other UN agencies as well as NGOs in Bangladesh, including through this new funding.
