Gaza, MINA – The United States has pledged an additional $73 million in humanitarian aid to support Rohingya refugees, as international calls for increased funding grow, Anadolu Agency reported.
The aid, announced on Thursday, will be distributed through the World Food Program (WFP) and is intended to provide vital food and nutrition assistance to over one million refugees.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce highlighted the importance of international cooperation in addressing the crisis.
“This food and nutrition support through WFP will provide critically needed food and nutrition assistance,” she said, emphasizing the need for shared responsibility in providing life-saving assistance.
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Bangladesh currently hosts over 1.3 million Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Myanmar in 2017. The United States remains the largest donor to the refugee cause, contributing nearly $2.4 billion since the onset of the crisis.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who visited Cox’s Bazar earlier this month, has also called for increased global support.
He warned that a lack of sufficient funding could lead to worsening conditions in the camps, potentially causing further suffering and loss of life.
Earlier this week, the WFP announced that it would have to reduce its monthly food aid for refugees from $12.50 to $6 per person starting April 1 unless additional funds were secured.
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However, Bangladesh’s Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman confirmed that WFP had revised this decision, increasing the food allocation to $12 per refugee in Cox’s Bazar and $13 in Bhashan Char. No formal announcement has been made by UN agencies regarding this revision. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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