Sweden-funded Ukrainian sunflower oil has reached Rohingya communities in Bangladesh through Grain from Ukraine, a humanitarian food programme launched by the President of Ukraine.

Sweden’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, Nicolas Weeks, together with Oleksandr Polishchuk, Ukraine’s Ambassador to India, and Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet, France’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, attended a handover ceremony in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday, arranged by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), marking the arrival of 3,000 metric tonnes of sunflower oil from Ukraine.

The delivery was made possible through a USD 7 million contribution from Sweden, which ensured the procurement and transport of Ukrainian sunflower oil to Cox’s Bazar as part of the Grain from Ukraine initiative.

The oil will be distributed by WFP to Rohingya refugees, meeting the cooking oil needs of approximately one million people for three months. France is also supporting the initiative, further strengthening the shared commitment to humanitarian assistance.

“This initiative is unique: it helps meet urgent food needs for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar while supporting Ukrainian farmers and families enduring the immense impact of Russia’s war of aggression. It is solidarity and collaboration in its most practical form,” said Ambassador Weeks during the ceremony.

Beyond its humanitarian impact in Bangladesh, Grain from Ukraine provides direct support to Ukrainian farmers and families, helping sustain livelihoods and the agricultural economy during wartime.

This dual benefit – strengthening resilience in Ukraine while addressing global hunger – underscores the initiative’s role in linking solidarity with practical impact.

The handover ceremony highlights the partnership between Ukraine, Sweden, France, Bangladesh, and WFP, said a media release.

By integrating Ukrainian agricultural products into global humanitarian supply chains, the initiative strengthens food security worldwide while sustaining Ukraine’s economy and farming communities under wartime conditions.

In addition to the handover of Ukrainian sunflower oil, Ambassador Weeks announced the upcoming disbursement of an additional USD 2.85 million to support the provision of cleaner cooking energy to Rohingya refugees, the continued rehabilitation of the environment and enhanced green skills development for refugees and Bangladeshi host communities.

These activities are part of the Safe Access to Fuel and Energy Plus, phase 2 programme (SAFE Plus 2), a joint UN programme which brings together the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the World Food Programme (WFP), in coordination with the Government of Bangladesh.

With this new contribution, Swedish support to the SAFE Plus initiative totals USD 23.85 million. In total, Sweden has supported the Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities in Cox’s Bazar with over USD 146.55 million since 2017.