Staff Reporter :
The United States and the United Kingdom have pledged an additional $96 million in assistance for Rohingya refugees, announced during the first-ever high-level conference on the Rohingya crisis at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Senior Assistant Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Fayez Ahmed said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that the United States committed $60 million while the United Kingdom pledged $36 million.
The pledges came Tuesday on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA), where the Rohingya issue was given a dedicated high-level platform for the first time.
Aid agencies have warned that a deepening funding shortfall has worsened conditions for nearly a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, with food rations repeatedly cut and education and health programs under strain.
The new contributions from Washington and London are expected to ease some of the immediate gaps, though the crisis remains far from resolved.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that fresh UK funding will directly improve the lives of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, as well as the Bangladeshi communities hosting them.
“This new UK aid will deliver essential food, shelter, clean water, and other life-saving services to half a million Rohingya people in Bangladesh, while also supporting local communities,” she said, adding that Britain would continue working tirelessly to ensure displaced people have the protection, dignity, and opportunities they deserve.
Since 2017, the United Kingdom has committed more than $447 million to the Rohingya response, making it one of the largest long-term donors to international relief efforts.
The new pledge reinforces London’s commitment to work with Bangladesh and global partners in pursuit of stability, security, and a sustainable future for the displaced community.
Funds will be directed through trusted multilateral agencies and NGOs, including the International Organization for Migration, the World Food Programme, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNFPA, and several international charities.
Key areas of support cover camp management, food assistance, sanitation, education, skills training, climate-resilient farming, and services for persons with disabilities.
UK officials emphasized that sustained international cooperation is crucial to addressing the root causes of displacement in Myanmar and to ensuring unhindered humanitarian access in Rakhine State, where conditions remain dire.
They also underlined the UK’s long-standing partnership with Bangladesh, rooted in shared priorities on development, trade, climate action, and the Commonwealth.
