UN agency reports 50 lakh people in farming households need emergency agricultural assistance between June-November 2026, with Rajshahi among affected divisions.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has estimated that approximately 10 lakh agricultural households in Bangladesh, representing about 50 lakh people, will require emergency agricultural assistance between June and November 2026. The number of households requiring emergency assistance has risen by 2 lakh since November 2025, according to the FAO's 14th round of Data in Emergencies Monitoring report published on August 25.
The FAO assessment was based on computer-assisted telephone interviews with 6,143 households across all 64 districts conducted in April and May 2026. By total number of households in need of assistance, Chattogram had the most in the country, followed by Rangpur, Dhaka and Rajshahi divisions. These divisions have large farming populations, so even a smaller percentage in need adds up to a bigger headcount.
By share of farming households affected, Sylhet, Mymensingh and Rangpur ranked highest. The report noted that needs were most acute in river-system areas, Haor basins and flash-flood hotspots, pointing to flooding and waterlogging as the monsoon season intensified.
The households in need were disproportionately resource-poor smallholders. Of the households in need, 57 percent cultivated less than one hectare of land, and 60 percent fell into the least well-off wealth bracket. The FAO recommended a seasonally timed package of inputs, alongside cash support, animal-health services and water-management support, ahead of the Aman cultivation period.