UK and Qatar pledge $11.2M for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

The United Kingdom and Qatar have announced a joint funding package of $11.2 million to support Rohingya refugees and local communities in Bangladesh. The aid, confirmed in a Sunday statement from the British High Commission in Dhaka, is specifically targeted at providing Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to more than 647,000 vulnerable individuals residing in and around the camps in Cox's Bazar district.

Objective of the LPG Initiative

This initiative aims to address two critical challenges simultaneously: improving household living conditions for refugees and reducing severe environmental degradation in the area. By supplying clean-burning LPG for cooking, the project seeks to lessen the dependence on firewood, which has led to widespread deforestation around the densely populated settlements. This environmental focus is a key component of sustainable aid for the long-term refugee crisis.

Context of the Rohingya Refugee Crisis

Bangladesh currently hosts over 1.3 million Rohingya refugees along its southeastern coast, most of whom fled a military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State in August 2017. The situation remains a protracted humanitarian emergency, with no successful repatriation efforts and declining international financial support exacerbating the plight of the displaced population.

Wider Funding Crisis and Future Risks

The new funding comes against a backdrop of a severe shortage of resources for Rohingya aid operations. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has reported a nearly $190 million funding gap for its assistance program, with $172 million required for essential food and nutrition support alone. The agency has warned that without urgent new contributions, critical food rations for the refugees will face major disruptions starting in April 2026.