South Korea has provided $5 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help maintain food assistance, nutrition services and school feeding for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

The contribution, announced by South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July, comes as nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char continue to rely heavily on humanitarian aid for basic needs.

The funding is expected to reach more than 462,000 Rohingya refugees. It will provide food assistance to vulnerable families, nutrition support to more than 36,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women, and school meals for about 260,000 children attending learning centres.

According to Dhaka Tribune, the South Korean funding will also support the second phase of REACH, or Responding with Emergency Assistance for Conflict-affected Households, a humanitarian initiative of the South Korean Foreign Ministry being implemented with WFP.

WFP said the assistance will be delivered through several programmes aimed at addressing food insecurity and malnutrition among refugees. Its e-voucher system allows Rohingya families to choose food based on their household needs, while nutrition services provide additional food and treatment for pregnant and breastfeeding women when malnutrition is detected.

The school feeding programme will provide fortified food to children on school days. The initiative is intended not only to improve children's nutrition but also to encourage regular attendance at learning centres.

“Having once received international support, the Republic of Korea is proud to now stand alongside WFP in supporting people affected by humanitarian crises around the world, including Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh,” South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Kim Ji-joon said.

Coco Ushiyama, WFP Representative and Country Director in Bangladesh, said international support remains critical as the Rohingya crisis approaches its tenth year.

“Continued international support is essential to protect lives, uphold dignity and ensure that children and families can meet their basic food and nutrition needs,” she said.

South Korea and WFP have worked together for more than 60 years, with their partnership dating back to 1964. In Bangladesh, South Korea has provided both cash and in-kind assistance to WFP's humanitarian operations.

With the latest contribution, South Korea's cash contributions through WFP's e-voucher programme for humanitarian operations in Bangladesh have reached $11.9 million.

The new funding comes at a time when humanitarian agencies are facing growing pressure to sustain assistance for the Rohingya population. Continued international funding will be crucial for keeping food, nutrition and education services running in the refugee settlements while efforts to find a durable solution to the crisis remain unresolved.

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