United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis on Wednesday said they are working with the government and NGOs to prioritise life-saving assistance, including food, healthcare, shelter and protection, noting that the Rohingya refugee response remains a ‘critical challenge’.
“We have a huge funding shortfall. In 2024, we mobilised USD 580 million under the Joint Response Plan for refugees and host communities. However, 2025 funding is expected to drop significantly and already has,” she said while speaking at ‘’DCAB Talk’ at the Jatiya Press Club.
The UNRC said they are trying to prioritise the most urgent needs of the community and they will continue to provide the basic support.
Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) hosted the event where DCAB President AKM Moinuddin and General Secretary Md Arifuzzaman Mamun also spoke.
The UNRC said they remain ‘deeply concerned’ about the worsening humanitarian situation in Rakhine State.
She commended Bangladesh’s generosity as a host country and reaffirmed their commitment to a rights-based, solutions-oriented humanitarian response.
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“We aim to better equip the Rohingya for early, voluntary and sustainable return to Myanmar when conditions allow,” Lewis said.
Over 1.3 million refugees reside in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char. Under government leadership, the UN and partners continue to provide life-saving support.
Looking ahead, Lewis said the UN in Bangladesh remains committed to being a principled, effective and responsive partner.
Responding to a question on humanitarian corridor, the UNRC said she does not know from where the humanitarian corridor terminology came from but it would require an agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
“As far as I know there has been no agreement yet between Myanmar and Bangladesh to provide support through the corridor,” she said.
Lewis said a humanitarian corridor is quite a formal legal issue, and it requires agreement between sovereign states.
But there is no humanitarian corridor in place as such, and they have not been involved in any discussion to establish such a corridor, she said.
The UNRC said if there is an agreement, the UN can support it. "But that agreement that I understand has not been established yet."
Lewis thinks any initiative to improve cross-border relations or to support people that are impacted by the conflict in Myanmar is very welcome and very supported by the UN.
This week, she met Chief Adviser Professor Yunus and reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to human and economic development, governance, human rights and gender equality.
“I reiterated our support for the Rohingya response, especially ahead of the high-level conference in September,” Lewis said.
Prof Yunus, in his meeting with the UNRC on Tuesday, highlighted the urgent need for sustained international solidarity and enhanced support to address these funding shortfalls and assist the Rohingya population in a better way.
The Rohingya crisis remains unresolved and the prospect of their repatriation continues to be uncertain with the complex situation in Rakhine.