by Hafizur Rahman
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh | August 3, 2026
Australia has announced AUD 25.25 million in humanitarian assistance to support Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh over the next three years, from 2026 to 2028.
The funding was announced jointly by the Australian Government and the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. According to UNHCR, the support will help provide protection services, skills training and disaster risk reduction programmes in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.
Australia’s Assistant Minister Julian Hill said Australia would continue to stand with Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh. He said Rohingya refugees can return to Myanmar only when conditions are safe and when the root causes of the crisis are addressed.
He stressed that any return must be voluntary, safe and dignified.
UNHCR Acting Representative Juliette Murekeyisoni welcomed Australia’s continued support, saying it sends an important message that the Rohingya people have not been forgotten at a time when humanitarian funding is declining globally.
UNHCR also warned that funding shortages are making daily life increasingly difficult for refugees. The agency said nearly 900 Rohingya were reported missing or died in 2025 while attempting dangerous sea journeys.
Since 2024, around 150,000 newly arrived Rohingya have also reached the camps in Bangladesh, adding further pressure to an already underfunded humanitarian response.
The latest Australian contribution comes as Rohingya refugees continue to face severe restrictions, insecurity, reduced assistance and uncertainty about their future. Many families in the camps remain dependent on humanitarian aid for food, shelter, healthcare, education and protection.
UNHCR said continued international support is urgently needed until conditions in Myanmar allow Rohingya refugees to return home safely, voluntarily and with dignity.
For Rohingya communities, the announcement provides important support, but it also underlines a larger reality: humanitarian aid can help refugees survive in exile, but it cannot replace the need for rights, citizenship, security and justice in their homeland.
