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

More than 300,000 children risk losing access to education in 2026 due to anticipated further cuts in global funding. UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom traveled to Bangladesh to witness firsthand the effects of these severe financial reductions on the half a million children residing in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Impact of Funding Cuts on Rohingya Children

During his four-day visit, Bloom engaged with children, families, and aid workers to assess the challenges that funding shortages impose on education, health, protection, and survival in the world's largest refugee settlements.

“The children in these camps are 100 per cent dependent on aid, but that aid is sadly shrinking,” said Bloom.

Hope and Aspirations Amid Crisis

Bloom shared the story of 14-year-old Aziz, who aspires to become an engineer. Aziz dreams of building a drone to show the world how urgently Rohingya children need help.

“These children need an education in order to have a future.”

Current Education Challenges

In June 2025, UNICEF had to temporarily close most schools in the Rohingya camps due to funding shortages, disrupting education for nearly 150,000 children.
Recent fundraising enabled schools to reopen across all grades.
However, looming funding cuts in early 2026 threaten to shut schools down again, potentially leaving more than 300,000 children without schooling.

This ongoing crisis highlights the urgent need for sustained funding to secure the futures of these vulnerable children.

Orlando Bloom's visit underscores the critical state of education in refugee camps, emphasizing the dire consequences of shrinking aid.

Unicef — 2025-11-05