UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom visits Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, where funding cuts are putting half a million children’s futures at risk

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom Visits Rohingya Refugee Camps in Bangladesh

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom traveled to Bangladesh this week to witness firsthand the impact of drastic cuts in official development assistance (ODA) on the 500,000 children living in the Rohingya camps of Cox’s Bazar.

Funding Crisis Threatens Children's Futures

During his four-day visit, Bloom met with children, families, and aid workers to assess the looming funding challenges that jeopardize education, health, protection, and survival in the world’s largest refugee camps.

“The children in these camps are 100 per cent dependent on aid, but that aid is sadly shrinking,” said Bloom. “I met 14-year-old Aziz who told me he dreamed of becoming an engineer so that he could build a drone to show the world how much help Rohingya children need. These children need an education in order to have a future.”

Severe Impact on Education Access

More than 300,000 children risk losing access to education in 2026 due to further expected global funding cuts.
In June 2025, UNICEF had to temporarily close most schools in the camps because of funding shortages, affecting nearly 150,000 children.
Although recent fundraising allowed children to resume learning across all grades, another funding shortfall early in 2026 could force the closure of all schools again.

This situation threatens to leave over 300,000 Rohingya children without any access to education.

Author's Summary

Significant funding cuts to aid programs risk depriving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugee children of education and essential services, threatening their future prospects.

Unicef — 2025-11-06