Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
On Sunday, April 12, 2026, Canada announced a $10 million Canadian dollar grant to provide clean, safe, and sustainable cooking fuel for nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees sheltering in Cox’s Bazar. The funds will be channeled through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The Canadian High Commission and UNHCR Bangladesh issued a joint statement confirming the grant. Since the introduction of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the refugee camps, firewood use has dropped by nearly 80 percent. Moreover, this shift prevents approximately 407,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
The Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Ajit Singh, described the grant as a climate-conscious investment. He noted that Cox’s Bazar is one of the most environmentally vulnerable regions in South Asia. Therefore, reducing firewood collection not only protects the forest but also reduces physical danger for refugee families, especially women and children.
A Life of Nine Years in Displacement
UNHCR Bangladesh’s Deputy Representative, Juliette Murekeyisoni, pointed out that Rohingya refugees have now lived in displacement for nine years. She said Canada’s support plays a vital role in ensuring refugees can live with dignity. Clean fuel is not a luxury. For a mother cooking for her children in a crowded camp, it is safety, health, and human dignity combined into one cylinder.
IOM Bangladesh’s Acting Chief of Mission, Giuseppi Loprete, added that safe cooking fuel meets a fundamental need for refugee families. It also removes the danger of venturing outside the camp to collect firewood, a task that often puts women and girls at serious risk.
Environmental and Human Impact
According to the UNHCR-IOM joint statement, Canada’s contribution will secure LPG access for approximately 243,500 refugee households. In addition, it will help protect nearly 10,700 hectares of reserved forest around Cox’s Bazar. Furthermore, the grant will reduce the risk of landslides and ease tensions between local communities and wildlife in ecologically sensitive areas.
LPG distribution in Cox’s Bazar began in 2018. Research shows it has significantly improved indoor air quality in densely populated camps and has lowered the cost of cooking fuel for refugee families. This new Canadian grant builds on years of sustained humanitarian partnership and deepens a commitment to both people and planet.
A Partnership Built on Principle
Canada has been a long-standing partner in addressing the Rohingya humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh. High Commissioner Ajit Singh emphasized that this new funding reflects both environmental responsibility and humanitarian commitment. The goal is not only to reduce carbon emissions but also to restore a measure of normalcy and safety to families who have already lost so much.
For nearly a decade, Rohingya refugees have endured one of the world’s most prolonged displacement crises. Canada’s $10 million grant does not solve that crisis. However, it lights a stove, clears the air, and brings one more quiet form of safety to families who deserve far more than the world has given them.
