Saudi relief-funded food aid reaches Rohingya camps, 60,000 families to benefit

A Saudi-funded food assistance programme targeting Rohingya refugees and vulnerable host communities has begun in Cox's Bazar, with officials saying the initiative will help ease food insecurity while reinforcing humanitarian cooperation.

Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman said the support from King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre would strengthen ties among Muslim communities and contribute to meeting urgent nutritional needs in the camps, said a press release.

"Rohingyas have been living in Bangladesh for nearly nine years. The government has sheltered them on humanitarian grounds, while international organisations continue to extend support," he said at the programme's inauguration today (15 April) at Camp-22 in Unchiprang.

The initiative, titled Emergency Food Assistance for Rohingya and Host Communities in Bangladesh, is being implemented by ISDE Bangladesh with funding from Saudi Relief.

Mizanur Rahman noted that Saudi Arabia has consistently stood by Bangladesh during times of crisis, adding that such assistance during Ramadan would help address food shortages and nutritional gaps among displaced families.

He also stressed the need for ensuring safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingyas through sustained international cooperation.

The programme aims to distribute food aid to 60,000 families, including 42,000 Rohingya households and 18,000 families from host communities in Cox's Bazar. The distribution formally began with 1,500 Rohingya families in Camp-22.

Presiding over the event, ISDE Bangladesh Executive Director SM Nazer Hossain said the initiative focuses on supporting impoverished and food-insecure families, most of whom reside in the Rohingya camps.

"Ensuring food security becomes particularly challenging for disadvantaged families during Ramadan. This assistance will bring some relief," he said.

Each beneficiary family will receive a food package containing 10kg of rice, 7kg of lentils, 3litres of soybean oil, 3kg of sugar and 1kg of salt.

Officials said the programme prioritises vulnerable groups, including the elderly, children, widows and persons with disabilities, alongside other marginalised communities.

The event was attended by camp authorities, local administration representatives, ISDE officials and Rohingya community leaders.