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DHAKA, Feb 1, 2026 (BSS) – Norway has declared one million US dollars to support nearly 1.2 million Rohingyas in Bangladesh, helping sustain critical humanitarian assistance and protection services amid declining global funding.

The contribution forms part of Norway’s 2025–2026 support to UNHCR’s global budget and will help the UN agency continue delivering life-saving aid while responding to growing humanitarian and protection needs in Rohingya camps, said a press release here. 

With humanitarian funding declining in 2025, UNHCR said difficult prioritisation and reductions in essential services have already increased vulnerability among refugees.

“Now into the ninth year of the crisis, the Rohingya people need international support more than ever to sustain well-being and keep hope alive,” said Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh.

He said the Norwegian support would strengthen refugees’ resilience through education, skills development and livelihood opportunities, while promoting self-reliance until they can return to Myanmar voluntarily, in dignity and safety.

On the occasion, Norway’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen, said Norway and UNHCR share a common vision of refugee protection that is “rights-based, principled, multilateral, and future-oriented.”

“In the Rohingya response, this means being a predictable partner that emphasises rights, preserves dignity, and supports long-term solutions,” the envoy said, adding that Norway is proud to support UNHCR’s work to strengthen protection for Rohingya women, men, girls and boys.

Norway also contributes to joint initiatives such as SAFE+2, which provides sustainable cooking fuel to refugees, reducing reliance on firewood, protecting the surrounding environment and improving safety and health conditions, particularly for women and children.

UNHCR noted that 71 percent of refugees worldwide are hosted by low- and middle-income countries like Bangladesh, underscoring the need for sustained and predictable international support for both refugees and host communities.

Working with the Government of Bangladesh, UNHCR and its partners are preparing to launch the updated 2026 Joint Response Plan (JRP) for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis.

Since 2017, Norway has contributed more than $ 55.2 million in flexible core funding to support the Rohingya response, reaffirming the international community’s critical role in supporting Bangladesh’s efforts to host the refugees until conditions in Myanmar allow for safe and voluntary return.