Home minister: Global aid for Rohingyas must increase amid funding decline

Photo: Collected

Arakan Now | 6 May 2026

Expressing concern over a significant decline in global assistance for the Rohingyas, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Tuesday said it is now imperative to enhance international support to improve their living standards and meet their humanitarian needs, according to a report by Dhaka Tribune.

Despite being one of the world’s most densely populated countries, Bangladesh has sheltered a large number of Rohingya refugees purely on humanitarian grounds, the minister said.

He made the remarks when Ivo Freijsen, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bangladesh, met him at the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Secretariat.

He also noted that the United States has recently reduced its funding allocation by 50 percent.

During the meeting, they discussed the overall situation of the Rohingya population sheltered in Bangladesh, including international funding and repatriation issues.

Highlighting conditions in the camps, the UNHCR representative said refugees are facing severe challenges due to high population density within a very limited space.

In response, the minister said expansion of camp areas is difficult given Bangladesh’s socio-economic and geographical realities.

He stressed that the safe, dignified, and voluntary repatriation of the Rohingyas remains the most viable solution to the crisis.

Referring to the prevailing geopolitical situation, the minister said the Rohingya crisis should not be overshadowed by global issues such as the Gaza conflict, the Ukraine war, and tensions between Israel and Iran.

He urged the United Nations and UNHCR to play a more proactive role in keeping the Rohingya issue high on the agenda at international platforms.

The UNHCR representative invited the minister to attend the Joint Response Plan (JRP) presentation on Rohingya refugees, scheduled to be held on May 20.