UK provides £11.6m humanitarian aid for Rohingyas, host communities

The UK is providing an additional £11.6 million (Tk 1.60 billion) of humanitarian support for Rohingya refugees and communities affected by disasters across Bangladesh, said a press release.

This new package of UK support will provide food, water, and sanitation to Rohingya refugees, and child protection services to refugees and neighbouring host communities. It will also provide support to communities across Bangladesh affected by major natural disasters, such as floods and cyclones, if they occur.

Implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and START Fund Bangladesh, this support responds to ongoing needs in the Rohingya camps and host communities, and the potential for disasters to severely impact people across Bangladesh.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke, announced this UK support during her first visit to Cox’s Bazar as High Commissioner, and said:

“The UK stands with Rohingya refugees and all communities affected by disasters across Bangladesh. I am pleased to announce this new package of £11.6 million of UK support to respond to humanitarian needs across the country.

“The UK thanks Bangladesh for its continued hosting of Rohingya refugees and remains committed to supporting the Government to find a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis. In the interim, we are providing vital humanitarian services through this support, including £8m of food support following the deeply concerning ration cuts in the camps earlier this year.

“This new package of support will also help Bangladeshi communities across the country respond to the impact of natural disasters, which can devastate wellbeing and livelihoods. This builds on the Government of Bangladesh’s impressive work in this area, and the UK’s longstanding support to disaster preparedness and response in Bangladesh.”

This new UK support includes:

£8m to WFP to provide food to 546,100 Rohingya refugees this year.

£2m to UNICEF to provide water, sanitation, and hygiene services to 46,000 Rohingya refugees, and child protection services to 5,700 refugees and host communities this year.

£1.6m to START Fund Bangladesh to provide humanitarian support to people affected by disasters across Bangladesh over the next two years, if they occur. This is expected to reach around 53,000 people, subject to impact of any disasters.

Since 2017, the UK has provided £362 million of humanitarian support to Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh.