Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
On the morning of Wednesday, March 11, 2026, something quiet and meaningful happened inside Camp 22 at Ukhiya’s Unchiprang in Cox’s Bazar. Bags of rice, lentils, cooking oil, sugar, and salt were placed into the hands of families who have spent nearly nine years waiting — not just for food, but for the world to remember they are still here.
The Bangladesh-based NGO ISDE (Institute for Social Development and Education) launched the distribution of emergency food assistance under a project titled “Emergency Food Assistance for Rohingya and Host Communities in Bangladesh,” funded by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, known as KSrelief. The opening ceremony at Camp 22 marked the beginning of a distribution effort that will eventually reach 60,000 families across Cox’s Bazar, covering both Rohingya refugee populations and local host communities.
Of the total beneficiaries, 42,000 food packages are designated for Rohingya families, while 18,000 packages are earmarked for poor families from the local host community in Cox’s Bazar. The project began with distribution to 1,500 Rohingya families in Camp 22.
Each family receives 10 kilograms of rice, 7 kilograms of lentils, 3 liters of soybean oil, 3 kilograms of sugar, and 1 kilogram of salt. The beneficiary list has been compiled to prioritize those most often left behind: elderly individuals, children, widows, people with disabilities, and disadvantaged families from various ethnic backgrounds.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner and Additional Secretary to the Government, Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, attended the launch as chief guest. He noted that the Rohingya have lived as refugees in Bangladesh for nearly nine years, sheltered through Bangladesh’s commitment to humanitarian principles while international organizations continue providing support. He said this food initiative by KSrelief, arriving during the holy month of Ramadan, will not only address food insecurity and nutritional deficits but will also strengthen the bonds of Muslim brotherhood between the people of Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh. He added that Saudi Arabia has stood beside Bangladesh in every crisis, and this latest act of solidarity continues that long tradition. He also stressed that alongside such humanitarian support, the international community must work to ensure the safe and dignified return of the Rohingya to their homeland.
ISDE Bangladesh Executive Director S M Nazer Hossain, who chaired the ceremony, said that for many vulnerable families, maintaining food security during Ramadan becomes especially difficult. This assistance, he said, will bring them a measure of relief during a time when the need is greatest. He emphasized that the project’s goal is not only to distribute food, but to ensure genuine food security and nutritional support for those who have the least.
The ceremony was also attended by Camp-in-Charge Rajib Chowdhury, ISDE Programme Officers Mohammad Jahangir Alam and Tajuddin, Programme Manager for the Rohingya Response Mohammad Jasim Uddin Siddiqui, Meal Officer Mostaq Ahmed, Field Officer Supam Barua, as well as representatives from local administration and members of the Rohingya community.
For families living in the camps, the bags of food are more than rations. They are, in this month of fasting and reflection, a reminder that solidarity still exists, that people across borders still see them, and that their dignity matters.
