Due to a funding crisis, the education of 230,000 Rohingya children is now under threat, UNICEF has reported.

UNICEF stated that without sustainable economic cooperation, all types of assistance for Rohingya refugees are at risk — including essential emergency education opportunities for children in the world’s largest refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar. They expressed concern over the potential loss of these educational opportunities. Already, 1,179 local Bangladeshi teachers working at UNICEF-operated learning centers are at risk of losing their jobs.

This information was shared on Sunday (June 2) at a press briefing organized at the UNICEF office in Cox’s Bazar.

At the briefing, Angela Kearney, Head of UNICEF Cox’s Bazar Office, said that in recent months, humanitarian aid funding for UNICEF-run operations addressing the Rohingya refugee crisis has decreased significantly. As a result, the education of 83 percent of school-going children enrolled in UNICEF-supported learning centers in the refugee camps has been affected.

The press briefing also noted that despite relentless efforts to mobilize new funds and restructure operations, UNICEF has been forced to make some difficult decisions due to the funding shortfall. Among these is the suspension of support for volunteer teachers from the host community working with kindergarten to Grade 2 students. By June 30, a total of 1,179 volunteer teachers, primarily from the local population, will see their contracts with UNICEF come to an end.

Due to the funding crisis, UNICEF’s humanitarian assistance programs are on the verge of shutting down not only in the Rohingya refugee camps but also in refugee settlements in Syria, Somalia, Ethiopia, and other parts of the world.

At the press briefing, international organizations and donors were urged to stand by the Rohingya refugees and help address the humanitarian crisis.

The UNICEF official further added that if new funds are secured, it will be possible to continue providing inclusive and quality education for Rohingya refugee children in Cox’s Bazar.

Also present at the event were Madhuri Banerjee, Head of UNICEF Chattogram Office, and Abid Azad, Communication Officer at the UNICEF Cox’s Bazar Office.