UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday said they will do everything possible to ensure required funds for the Rohingya to avoid a situation in which people would suffer. "I can promise that we'll do everything to avoid it and I will be talking to all the countries in the world that can support us in order to make sure that funds are made available," he told reporters at Balukhali Rohingya camp (Camp 18). Guterres said they cannot accept that the international community forgets about the Rohingya, and his voice will speak loud to the international community. Ramadan Solidarity: Dr Yunus, Guterres in Cox’s Bazar to join iftar with Rohingyas The UN chief said they urgently need more support because this population badly needs that support to be able to live in dignity here in Bangladesh. Guterres said Rohingyas want to go back to Myanmar. It's essential that the international community does everything to make sure that peace is reestablished in Myanmar, and that the rights of the Rohingyas are respected, he said. Guterres visited UN-run different facilities, including IOM's Rohingya cultural memorial centre in Camp 18, Ukhiya. Earlier, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Guterres arrived here in Cox’s Bazar on Friday afternoon to attend a number programmes, including a tour to the Rohingya refugee camp. Disaster Management and Relief Adviser Faruk E Azam Bir Protik received them upon their arrival at Cox’s Bazar International Airport. Count on UN to help build sustainable, equitable future for all: Guterres tells Dr Yunus The Chief Adviser will join the UN chief at the Rohingya camp before the iftar. The UN chief will share an Iftar with the refugees to be hosted by Dr Yunus. The UN chief and Dr Yunus will meet Rohingya refugees who have been forcibly displaced from their homes in Myanmar. They will also meet the host Bangladeshi communities who have been so generous in hosting them. "Every Ramadan, I spend time with Muslim communities living in difficult circumstances, to observe the fast with them and help shine a spotlight on their plight. This year I’m in Bangladesh to express my solidarity with Rohingya refugees and the Bangladeshi people hosting them," Guterres said on his Ramadan solidarity visit. UN chief speaks with Rohingya children at learning centre Dr Yunus and Guterres are scheduled to return to Dhaka tonight (Friday night). In the morning, the UN chief had a bilateral meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Yunus and discussed the issues of mutual interests, including the Rohingya refugee crisis. The meeting was held at the Chief Adviser's Office in Tejgaon. Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain and Chief Adviser's High Representative Dr Khalilur Rahman also met Guterres at a city hotel, before his meeting with the Chief Adviser. On Saturday in Dhaka, the Secretary-General will meet the youth and representatives from civil society, said an official at the UN office in Dhaka. UN chief Guterres reaches Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar He will also have a joint press conference with the Foreign Adviser Hossain on Saturday afternoon. Guterres is scheduled to leave Bangladesh on Sunday morning.  

Without urgent new funding, monthly rations must be halved to US$6 per person, down from US$12.50 per person – just as refugees prepare to observe Eid, marking the end of Ramadan, said the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned of a critical funding shortfall for its emergency response operations in Bangladesh, jeopardising food assistance for over one million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. All Rohingyas receive vouchers that are redeemed for their choice of food at designated retailers in the camps. To sustain full rations, WFP urgently requires US$15 million for April, and US$81 million until the end of 2025. "The Rohingya refugee crisis remains one of the world's largest and most protracted,” said Dom Scalpelli, WFP Country Director in Bangladesh. UN to reduce Rohingya food aid by over half from April “Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh remain entirely dependent on humanitarian assistance for their survival. Any reduction in food assistance will push them deeper into hunger and force them to resort to desperate measures just to survive.” In recent months, new waves of Rohingya refugees, potentially exceeding 100,000 people, have crossed into Bangladesh, fleeing conflicts in neighbouring Myanmar. The continued influx of Rohingya seeking safety places an even greater strain on already overstretched resources. WFP has already begun communicating with the Rohingya community about the potential ration cuts. This coincides with the holy month of Ramadan – a sacred period for Muslims worldwide, including for the majority of the Rohingya – observed as a time for solidarity and support. “Now more than ever, the Rohingya need us to stand with them. These families have nowhere else to go, and WFP’s food aid is the difference between survival and despair. Immediate support is urgently needed to prevent this crisis from escalating further," added Scalpelli. In 2023, severe funding constraints forced WFP to reduce rations from US$12 to US$8 per person per month, leading to a sharp decline in food consumption and the worst levels of malnutrition among children since 2017 – reaching over 15 percent – above the emergency threshold. Rations were later increased when funding was received. Japan, Unicef sign $ 3.3mn deal to strengthen assistance for Rohingya children For a population with no legal status, no freedom of movement outside the camps, and no sustainable livelihood opportunities, further cuts will exacerbate protection and security risks. As in 2023, women and girls, in particular, may face heightened risks of exploitation, trafficking, prostitution, and domestic violence. Children may be pulled out of school and forced into child labour, while girls may be married off at a young age as families resort to desperate measures to survive. Refugee populations across the globe are often the first to face cuts to aid, despite being among the most vulnerable. As funding shortfalls grow and needs continue to rise, the Rohingya and many other communities are left with fewer resources to survive.

Experts and stakeholders Wednesday said there must be a collective plan to cope with the slashing of aid for Rohingyas. They made the call at a webinar organised by Cox's Bazar Civil Society and NGO Forum, a network of 60 local organisations. KM Tariqul Islam, director general NGO Affairs Bureau, said aid for Rohingya response is being slashed due to the global crisis. "So, the government and donors should find realistic ways to attract global donors." Shireen Huq, a member of Naripokkho, urged the government to announce a plan and redouble its global efforts on Rohingya repatriation. READ: Rohingyas: Dhaka asks Nay Pyi Taw to expedite verification for early repatriation Shireen and Disaster Forum Member Secretary Nayeem Gowhar Warha also called on the government to consider signing the Geneva Convention on Refugees. Ashis Damle of Oxfam requested the international non-governmental organisations to initiate a global campaign to facilitate the early repatriation of the displaced Myanmar citizens.