US President Donald Trump has exempted life-saving food and nutritional support for displaced Rohingyas in Bangladesh from the ongoing US aid freeze, offering significant relief to humanitarian efforts in the region.
The announcement was made during a meeting between officials from the US Embassy in Dhaka and High Representative Dr. Khalilur Rahman this afternoon, according to an official statement.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus expressed sincere gratitude to President Trump for the decision.
“On his assumption of office, US President Donald Trump suspended US support to all countries globally for 90 days but the assistance and resources that USAID continues to provide for the Rohingyas’ food and nutrition have been exempted from it,” Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Apurba Jahangir has said.
The exemption ensures that humanitarian assistance will continue for the hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh, who rely heavily on international aid for survival.
Critical US aid withdrawal risks Rohingya camps and host community stability
Recently, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) issued a directive to its implementing partners in Bangladesh, mandating the immediate cessation of activities under contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements. This directive was part of a US executive order on foreign aid reassessment.
The order, issued by USAID's Office of Acquisition & Assistance, instructed all partners to halt work and avoid incurring additional costs under their agreements.
The USAID directive to cease activities under existing contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements as part of the foreign aid reassessment could have had a profound impact on the Rohingya humanitarian response in Bangladesh.
USAID has been the largest single donor to the Rohingya crisis, contributing nearly $2 billion of the total $2.4 billion provided by the US for Rohingya refugees and host communities.
