“We’re seeing worrying developments in Bangladesh, with one million Rohingya refugees who don’t have sufficient food for the day. Sweden is a major core support donor to many aid organisations working on the ground, and now we’re also increasing our humanitarian support to Bangladesh, with a focus on meeting urgent needs, saving lives and ensuring food security,” says Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell, who is currently visiting Bangladesh.

Since August 2017, there have been one million stateless Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in Bangladesh. Over the past year, an alarming increase in the number of Rohingya refugees suffering from acute famine has been noted. This has in turn contributed to a drastic increase in malnutrition among women and children, an increase in child marriages, and deteriorating security in the camps. Humanitarian needs are also on the rise elsewhere in Bangladesh. 

Sweden now plans to increase its humanitarian support to Bangladesh, initially totalling SEK 77 million for 2024. This new humanitarian assistance will be channelled through continued cooperation with a number of UN bodies and other organisations.