The European Union (EU) on Thursday announced €32 million or Tk 3.04 billion in funding to contribute to the needs of Bangladeshi host communities of Cox's Bazar and Rohingya in the camps.
Of the total, €12 million or around Tk 1.14 billion will be dedicated to COVID-19 responses and €20 million or around Tk 1.90 billion will be available for the need of both host communities and Rohingya through an integrated approach on improved access to basic services in education, food security and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and enhance their resilience and protection, said a press release.
The €20 million action also includes a complementary small cross-border operation worth €1.0 million to enhance conflict sensitivity and mutual understanding among CSOs assisting the refugee, IDP and host communities on the other side of the border, it said.
All EU-funded activities will address important cross-cutting issues such as Protection of Girls and Women, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), and psychosocial support, the press release added.
"The €32 million funding is an important contribution to Bangladesh's continuous generosity and humanity in hosting Rohingya that fled neighbouring Myanmar", it said, quoting the Ambassador of the EU, Rensje Teerink.
"It is part of the Team Europe global response to COVID-19 in the country with a specific component to support the needs of both Bangladeshi host communities of Cox's Bazar and Rohingya in the camps to address the crisis worsened by the pandemic", she was also quoted as saying.
The funding contributes to the 2030 Agenda's call to 'leave no one behind', in line with the Strategic Objectives of the UN Joint Response Plan 2020 including the current COVID19 challenges, according to the press release.
It promotes a comprehensive, development-led response to forced displacement, in line with EU policy and the Team Europe global response to COVID-19.
The actions will be implemented by UNHCR, UNICEF and UNOPS, it added.
