The Government of Bangladesh, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) jointly held a handover ceremony in Chattogram on Monday for a rice donation from the Republic of Korea in support of the Rohingya humanitarian response.

The ceremony took place at WFP's Alongkar Warehouse and was attended by Md Mostafizur Rahman, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief; H.E. Young Sik Park, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Bangladesh; and Dom Scalpelli, WFP Country Director.

The event coincided with Korea's Farmer's Day (11 November) and paid tribute to Korean farmers whose hard work made the contribution possible.

This is the second such donation from Korea, following a 15,000-metric-tonne rice contribution in 2024. This year's donation of 20,265 metric tonnes was made through Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA). It also includes fortified rice kernels enriched with essential vitamins and minerals such as A, B1, B12, zinc, iron, and folic acid, which will be blended with regular rice at a 1:100 ratio before being distributed to the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar.

The contribution is sufficient to feed the entire Rohingya population of 1.1 million for nearly two months and is part of Korea's global donation of 150,000 metric tonnes of rice to WFP operations in 17 countries.

Md Mostafizur Rahman thanked Korea for its "steadfast partnership" in supporting the Rohingya response. "As humanitarian funding continues to decline while needs rise sharply, this contribution is both timely and vital," he said, calling on the international community to step up its support.

Ambassador Young Sik Park said, "Decades ago, Korea was one of the largest recipients of WFP assistance. Today, we are proud to stand on the other side — as a committed donor supporting those in need. We remain dedicated to working with the Government of Bangladesh and WFP to respond to the growing needs of the Rohingya community."

WFP Country Director Dom Scalpelli described the donation as "a powerful testament to Korea's solidarity and compassion". He added, "Their journey from receiving aid to becoming a valued donor is truly inspiring. We also commend Bangladesh for its unwavering hospitality and humanity."

According to the 2025 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, over 446,000 Rohingya (40%) are projected to be severely food insecure, including 223,000 facing emergency-level food insecurity.

Md Morshedur Rahman Talukder, Director, Myanmar Wing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also thanked the Republic of Korea for supporting humanitarian and diplomatic initiatives related to the Rohingya issue.

The WFP warned that without new funding, essential food assistance operations could face major disruptions as early as April 2026.

TBS / WFP / Corporate