Australia announces additional A$25.25m in Aid for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

Australia has announced an additional A$25.25 million in humanitarian assistance to support Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and the host communities that continue to bear the burden of one of the world's largest displacement crises.

The funding commitment was announced on Monday (August 3) following the signing of an agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), according to the Australian High Commission in Dhaka.

Australian High Commissioner said the new contribution reflects Australia's long-standing humanitarian commitment to supporting Bangladesh and protecting displaced Rohingya populations.

He also reaffirmed Canberra's pledge to continue working with international partners to sustain humanitarian assistance for those affected by the crisis.

According to the High Commission, the latest allocation forms part of Australia's A$370 million, three-year humanitarian assistance package for Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Since the Rohingya crisis escalated in 2017, Australia has provided more than A$1.25 billion in humanitarian support for displaced Rohingya and affected communities.

The newly announced funding will expand protection services, healthcare, education, shelter, livelihoods and other essential humanitarian programmes for Rohingya refugees living in camps in Cox's Bazar.

A portion of the assistance will also be directed toward supporting Bangladeshi host communities, which have faced growing economic and social pressures since accommodating hundreds of thousands of refugees.

The fresh commitment comes as humanitarian agencies continue to warn of funding shortfalls that threaten critical services in the Rohingya camps, underscoring the need for sustained international support to meet the refugees' basic needs and assist Bangladesh in managing the protracted crisis.