Diplomatic Desk:
The Government of Japan this month reaffirmed its strong commitment to Rohingya refugees and host communities by signing and exchanging five new grant assistance projects with UN agencies, totaling 2.57 billion Japanese yen or 16.5 million US dollars. These contributions were formally approved in Dhaka from 2 to 5 March 2026, in partnership with UNICEF, UNFPA, IOM, WFP and UNHCR.
The new package comes at a critical time for the Rohingya response. Some 1.2 million Rohingya refugees remain in Bangladesh in increasingly difficult conditions, while humanitarian funding is under severe strain and demands are increasing for both refugees and Bangladeshi host communities. Japan’s latest assistance is designed to maintain life-saving services, strengthen resilience and uphold human dignity in one of the world’s largest and most protracted humanitarian crises.
Through these five projects, Japan will support a wide range of urgent priorities in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, including food assistance, nutrition, healthcare, sexual and reproductive health, protection of women and girls, education, water and sanitation, shelter materials, clean cooking solutions, healthcare, livelihoods, and climate resilience support for local farmers. This assistance will benefit Rohingya refugees as well as the vulnerable Bangladeshi communities hosting them. Under the package, Japan is providing the following:
- US$1.4 million to UNICEF for child health, education, WASH, and nutrition support in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char;
- US$3.2 million to UNFP to maintain life-saving sexual and reproductive health services, GBV response, and support for adolescents;
- US$2.6 million to IOM to improve livelihoods through shelter, health, LPG distribution, site management, and livelihood support;
- USD 6.7 million to WFP to provide food assistance and nutrition services to refugees, while strengthening the resilience of farmers in host communities;
- USD 2.6 million to UNHCR to provide shelter repair kits, basic healthcare and clean cooking sets to Rohingya refugees.
In addition to helping refugees move towards greater self-reliance through livelihoods, education and community capacity development, this assistance aims to strengthen the resilience of refugee-hosting communities by supporting livelihoods, environmental management and essential services that benefit both Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities.
The Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, Hon. Mr. Saida Shinichi, said: “Japan is firmly committed to supporting Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities who have shown remarkable generosity in the face of the protracted humanitarian crisis. Through these five new partnerships with UN agencies, Japan is providing timely and practical assistance to protect lives, dignity and resilience. We hope this assistance will help maintain essential services at a time of growing humanitarian needs and shrinking global resources.”
Since the outbreak of the Rohingya crisis in August 2017, Japan has been one of the most consistent supporters of humanitarian assistance in Bangladesh, providing over US$250 million and, according to some agencies, over US$260 million in cash assistance to UN agencies and NGOs. This latest package underscores Japan’s determination to remain a reliable partner for Bangladesh and all those affected by the Rohingya crisis.
Japan also believes that providing assistance to the Rohingya is not only a humanitarian obligation, but also essential for maintaining stability, social cohesion and resilience in the refugee-hosting areas of Bangladesh and contributing to greater regional stability in Asia. In this spirit, Japan will continue to work closely with the Bangladesh government, UN agencies and the international community towards a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis.
