UK to fund lifesaving assistance to over 500,000 Rohingya refugees

2 Oct 2025 12:43 PM

The UK will provide food, shelter, clean water, and other life-saving services to half a million Rohingya refugees displaced from Myanmar by conflict and persecution

• UK will provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to over 500,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.  
• Funding will provide food, shelter, clean water and other life-saving services to refugees and host communities, delivered through trusted partners on the ground.  
• Over a million Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar to Bangladesh.

The UK will provide food, shelter, clean water, and other life-saving services to half a million Rohingya refugees displaced from Myanmar by conflict and persecution, the Foreign Secretary recently (30 September 2025) announced. 

It will also provide sexual and reproductive health services to 175,000 women and girls and support survivors of sexual, physical and mental harm.

The announcement comes ahead of the UN convening a high-level conference on the plight of the Rohingya and other minority groups in Myanmar on Tuesday. 

The £27 million aid package will be delivered through established partners on the ground, ensuring that it reaches those who need it most.  

Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper recently said: 

This new UK aid will deliver essential food, shelter, clean water, and other life-saving services to half a million Rohingya people in Bangladesh and also help support Bangladeshi host communities. 

The UK will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those displaced by violence have the support, protection, dignity, and opportunities they deserve.

This renewed commitment to Rohingya refugees underscores the UK’s leadership in global humanitarian response and its focus on building global security and economic recovery – in line with the Government’s Plan for Change to respond to global challenges with purpose.

The UK continues to call for sustained international coordination to address the root causes of displacement and vulnerability. That includes supporting full, unhindered humanitarian access so crucial supplies can reach those living in the increasingly desperate humanitarian situation in Rakhine State in Myanmar.  

It also continues to help create a sustainable future for the Rohingya people, including by working with key actors on both sides of the border.  

The UK is a leading long-term contributor to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh.

With this additional funding, it has now provided over £447 million since 2017, and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those displaced by violence receive the protection, dignity, and opportunities they deserve.  

The UK is working with the Bangladesh authorities to promote stability and hope for the Rohingya community. The UK’s historic partnership with Bangladesh is a highly valued relationship, cemented by our diaspora, cultural, Commonwealth, climate, development, trade and economic links. 

Notes to Editors: 

This £27m new funding includes:  

• £6m provided through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to deliver camp management support to over 510,500 refugees, among other activities.   
• £6m provided through the World Food Programme (WFP) to deliver food assistance to over 174,700 Rohingya refugees for three months.   
• £3.2m provided through UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, as part of a larger contribution to support documentation for 43,000 refugees and deliver legal assistance to over 31,600 refugees, among other activities.   
• £4.2m provided through the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to deliver improved sanitation and hygiene services for 150,000 refugees, safe drinking water for 75,000 refugees, and healthcare to 61,843 refugees, among other activities.   
• £1.5m provided through the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to deliver lifesaving sexual and reproductive health integrated services to 175,000 women and girls, survivors of sexual, physical and mental harm and outreach services to over 61,300 community members, among other activities.  
• £2.24m provided through Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, and Humanity and Inclusion. This will reach 138,200 Rohingya refugees and 46,060 vulnerable host communities with essential services such as education, healthcare, and individualised assistance to persons with disabilities.   
• £4m provided through a range of UN and NGO partners to provide skills training to over 47,000 households and engage 65,600 households in climate-resilient agriculture.

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