Human Concern International and Human Concern USA Launch Rohingya Coalition to Expand Educational and Economic Opportunities for Rohingya Youth

Coalition brings together six organizations to advance higher education, digital learning, skills development and employment opportunities

OTTAWA, ON – November 2, 2026 – Human Concern International (HCI) and Human Concern USA are proud to announce the launch of the Rohingya Coalition, bringing together six Canadian and U.S. charities committed to expanding educational and economic opportunities for Rohingya youth in Bangladesh.

This announcement comes as humanitarian aid is shrinking globally, with donor funding declining while the number and scale of crises continue to grow. Cuts to international assistance, including reductions in U.S. foreign aid and the dismantling of USAID, have further intensified pressure on organizations supporting communities affected by conflict and displacement.

Nine years after the 2017 mass displacement, more than one million Rohingya refugees remain in Bangladesh, with limited access to higher education, skills training and employment opportunities. For a generation of young people who have spent much of their lives in displacement, these gaps are narrowing an already limited pathway to a more stable future.

In response to these challenges, the coalition was launched at a side event during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. At the event, participating organizations announced their commitment to a shared initiative focused on higher education and digital learning that leads to skills development and pathways to employment.

The founding coalition includes Human Concern International, Human Concern USA, Humaniti, Penny Appeal Canada, Penny Appeal US and ICNA Relief Canada, along with members of the Bangladesh government who supported this initiative. 

Through the Rohingya Coalition, HCI and its partners are working together to help close these gaps and support the next generation of Rohingya youth.

“For nine years, Rohingya youth have been asked to wait. Wait for safety, wait for school, wait for a future. Humanitarian aid has kept families alive, but our responsibility does not end at food and water. Young people need classrooms, skills and a real path to work, and no single organization can build that path alone,” said Mahmuda Khan, Global CEO, Human Concern International. 

“That is why we came together. This coalition is our promise to Rohingya youth that their education, their dignity and their future will not be forgotten, even as the world’s attention and funding move elsewhere,” added Masum Mahbub, CEO, Human Concern USA.

The coalition’s focus on education and skills development reflects the importance of supporting Rohingya youth beyond immediate humanitarian needs and creating opportunities that contribute to longer-term resilience and economic participation.

HCI and the coalition partners will continue working together to welcome additional organizations and expand access to higher education, digital learning and skills development for Rohingya communities.

About Human Concern International

Human Concern International (HCI) is Canada’s first and oldest Muslim charity. Entrenched in all our work is our vision for a world without poverty and injustice. Since its inception, HCI has provided humanitarian aid and development support to tens of millions of individuals and families around the world as per our mission to save lives and move people from crises to sustainability through emergency response, education, healthcare, livelihoods, water and sanitation, and child sponsorship programs. For HCI, charity starts at home, and we uplift our community in both times of need and celebration.