South Korea provides $5m for Rohingyas

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

The contribution will enable WFP to support more than 462,000 Rohingyas, including vulnerable families, pregnant and breastfeeding women and children attending learning centres, according to a WFP news release issued on Monday.

The funding, officially announced by South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July, comes as nearly 1.2 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char continue to depend on humanitarian assistance amid mounting pressure on international funding.

Under the assistance, more than 36,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women will receive nutrition support, while 260,000 children attending learning centres will benefit from school feeding.

The funding will also support the second phase of Responding with Emergency Assistance for Conflict-affected Households (REACH), a flagship humanitarian initiative of South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs implemented in partnership with WFP.

In Bangladesh, the initiative supports humanitarian assistance for vulnerable communities affected by conflict and displacement.

Through WFP’s e-voucher system, Rohingya families can select food according to their needs, while nutrition services provide nutritious foods and treatment to pregnant and breastfeeding women when malnutrition is detected.

The school feeding programme provides children with fortified food on school days to help meet their nutritional needs and encourage regular attendance at learning centres.

South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Kim Ji-joon said his country remained committed to protecting vulnerable communities and contributing to global humanitarian efforts.

"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," he said.

WFP Representative and Country Director in Bangladesh Coco Ushiyama stressed the need for sustained international assistance 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.

Ushiyama expressed gratitude to the South Korean government and people for continuing to stand by the Rohingyas at a critical time.

South Korea and WFP have been partners for more than six decades, with their cooperation dating back to 1964.

In Bangladesh, Seoul has provided both cash and in-kind assistance to WFP's humanitarian operations.

With the latest US$5 million contribution, South Korea's cash contributions through WFP's e-voucher modality for humanitarian operations in Bangladesh have reached US$11.9 million.