The Australian government and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Monday announced AU$25.25 million (US$17.74 million) in new humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, amid declining global aid funding.
The multi-year package, covering 2026 to 2028, will fund life-saving humanitarian assistance, skills development programmes, and disaster risk reduction initiatives in Rohingya refugee camps, UNHCR said.
The announcement was made in Dhaka in the presence of Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and Australian Assistant Minister Julian Hill.
Australia reaffirmed its support for Rohingya displaced by the crisis in Myanmar, with Hill saying conditions must be created to allow refugees to return home voluntarily, safely, and with dignity by addressing the root causes of the conflict.
UNHCR Representative Juliette Murekeyisoni warned that, nearly nine years after the crisis began, international attention and funding are fading despite continuing humanitarian needs.
Around 1.2 million Rohingya refugees remain in Bangladesh, most of them living in overcrowded camps near Cox’s Bazar and relying almost entirely on humanitarian assistance.
UNHCR also warned that funding shortfalls have increased risks for refugees, noting that nearly 900 Rohingya were reported missing or dead in 2025 while attempting dangerous sea crossings in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal.