UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, on Thursday welcomed the generous, multi-year contribution of EUR14 million (Tk. 139 crore) from the European Union, which will support UNHCR’s continued protection and assistance of Rohingyas and Bangladeshi host communities in Cox’s Bazar.

The EU is one of the long-standing donors for UNHCR Bangladesh since 2005.

“In these unprecedented and immensely challenging times, our life-saving and essential work, and the overall humanitarian response in support to the Government of Bangladesh, would not be possible without the EU’s sustained support and commitment to Rohingya refugees and local communities in Bangladesh”, said Steve Corliss, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh.

Since the mass influx of Rohingya refugees in 2017, UNHCR and other humanitarian actors have been supporting the Government of Bangladesh in delivering a wide range of assistance to the refugees and surrounding host communities, such as the distribution of core relief items and shelters, improvement of water systems, and increasing access to education and health services.

The EU has been one of the most active supporters of the response for Rohingyas.

“This funding provided to UNHCR is an important contribution to Bangladesh’s continuous generosity and humanity in hosting Rohingya who fled neighbouring Myanmar”, said Ambassador Rensje Teerink, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh.

“It is part of the Team Europe global response to COVID-19 in the country to address the refugee crisis worsened by the pandemic”.

This new contribution will support the joint Government of Bangladesh-UNHCR registration exercise, which enhances assistance and protection of the refugees in Bangladesh, ensuring efficient access to aid and targeted protection for those with specific needs.

The contribution will also support camp management, promote the empowerment of refugees and host communities, enhance peaceful co-existence between the communities, as well as support the COVID-19 response, including mitigating the socio-economic impact of the virus in Cox’s Bazar.