UNB, Dhaka :
The European Union (EU) has announced €18 million in funding to help improve resilience among Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
Over 288,000 children and families will benefit as part of a three-year EU-supported UNICEF programme, building synergies across four key areas of nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene; education; and child protection.
“The support from the European Union allows us to address the issue of resilience in a holistic manner, integrating and harmonizing services for the delivery of better results for Rohingya and Bangladeshi children, adolescents and families,” says TomooHozumi, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh on Thursday.
“We have substantially scaled up our humanitarian response over the past
year and a half thanks to strong support from partners like the European Union. At the same time, the situation remains critical with 1.2 million people requiring humanitarian assistance in one of Bangladesh’s poorest and most vulnerable districts.”
Cox’s Bazar is home to 2.3 million people. Around 33 percent live below the poverty line.
Education indicators are among the lowest in the country with the primary school completion rate standing at 55 percent.
Over half of girls marry before the age of 18 years and close to 50,000 children are engaged in child labour.
The district records very high rates of malnutrition. One in two children suffer from stunting due to poor maternal nutrition and the lack of adequate infant feeding and care practices.
Cox’s Bazar is one of the most vulnerable districts to natural disasters in the country including cyclones, flooding and landslides caused by monsoon rains, and the impact of climate change.
“We need to act decisively to secure a better future for all those affected by the refugee crisis. With this strategic support, we aim to ensure continuity between humanitarian and development actions for Rohingya and Bangladeshi communities,” highlights Rensje Teerink, EU Ambassador to Bangladesh.
“We shall tackle the underlying issues to improve access to water, education, child protection and food and nutrition security in Cox’s Bazar. Our aim is to strengthen local development efforts and reduce the need for humanitarian assistance in the future.”
The European Union (EU) has announced €18 million in funding to help improve resilience among Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
Over 288,000 children and families will benefit as part of a three-year EU-supported UNICEF programme, building synergies across four key areas of nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene; education; and child protection.
“The support from the European Union allows us to address the issue of resilience in a holistic manner, integrating and harmonizing services for the delivery of better results for Rohingya and Bangladeshi children, adolescents and families,” says TomooHozumi, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh on Thursday.
“We have substantially scaled up our humanitarian response over the past
year and a half thanks to strong support from partners like the European Union. At the same time, the situation remains critical with 1.2 million people requiring humanitarian assistance in one of Bangladesh’s poorest and most vulnerable districts.”
Cox’s Bazar is home to 2.3 million people. Around 33 percent live below the poverty line.
Education indicators are among the lowest in the country with the primary school completion rate standing at 55 percent.
Over half of girls marry before the age of 18 years and close to 50,000 children are engaged in child labour.
The district records very high rates of malnutrition. One in two children suffer from stunting due to poor maternal nutrition and the lack of adequate infant feeding and care practices.
Cox’s Bazar is one of the most vulnerable districts to natural disasters in the country including cyclones, flooding and landslides caused by monsoon rains, and the impact of climate change.
“We need to act decisively to secure a better future for all those affected by the refugee crisis. With this strategic support, we aim to ensure continuity between humanitarian and development actions for Rohingya and Bangladeshi communities,” highlights Rensje Teerink, EU Ambassador to Bangladesh.
“We shall tackle the underlying issues to improve access to water, education, child protection and food and nutrition security in Cox’s Bazar. Our aim is to strengthen local development efforts and reduce the need for humanitarian assistance in the future.”
