This week, the United States announced more than $45 million in additional humanitarian assistance to meet the urgent needs of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. This funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for the crisis in Bangladesh and Burma to more than $494 million since the outbreak of violence in August 2017.

Approximately 739,000 refugees-mostly Rohingya women and children-have fled violence in Burma's Rakhine State and crossed the border into Bangladesh since August 2017, and more than 1.2 million people in Bangladesh, including affected members of host communities, are currently in need of humanitarian aid. The new funding supports ongoing efforts to provide life-saving food assistance, including general food distributions, as well as vouchers that empower refugees to buy food in local markets. It also provides nutritional assistance for refugees and members of host communities, including women and children, strengthens humanitarian-logistics capabilities, and enhances disaster-preparedness efforts ahead of the monsoon and cyclone season. 

This additional assistance complements ongoing U.S.-funded humanitarian aid activities, such as food, water, nutrition, sanitation, emergency health care, psychosocial support, protection, shelter, and education for refugees in Bangladesh and affected populations within Burma. U.S. funding also supports Bangladeshi host communities affected by this crisis. 

The United States is the leading contributor of humanitarian assistance to the crisis in Bangladesh and Burma, and remains committed to responding to urgent needs and advocating for sustained humanitarian access on both sides of the Bangladesh-Burma border. We commend the Government and people of Bangladesh, who have responded generously to the refugees who have arrived in Bangladesh, and once again urge other donors to increase their commitments in responding to the pressing humanitarian needs.  We continue to urge the Government of Burma to create conditions for voluntary, dignified repatriation and address the root causes of the crisis in Rakhine State.