The Italian government’s kind donation of €3 million for the Rohingyas’ ongoing protection and humanitarian aid in Bangladesh has been warmly received by UNHCR, the UN agency for refugees.
Enrico Nunziata, the Italian ambassador to Bangladesh, and Johannes van der Klaauw, the UNHCR representative, made the news on Wednesday.
With this support from the Italian government and people, UNHCR will be able to continue offering almost a million Rohingya individuals in Bangladesh—who still depend on humanitarian aid for survival—protection and assistance that could save their lives. According to Johannes van der Klaauw, this includes support for their education and skill development as well as access to health, water, and sanitation facilities, as well as essential protection services.
He continued, “This extraordinary contribution from Italy, which comes from its budget for foreign policy, underscores the longer-term character of this commitment and is all the more appreciated today that we anticipate a material drop in financial support from the international community.”
In accordance with the Italian government’s commitment to maintain access to vital and life-sustaining services for refugees living both in Cox’s Bazar camps and on Bhasan Char, the grant from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is a contribution to the activities of the government of Bangladesh and UNHCR on the protection of Rohingyas as set forth in the Joint Response Plan.
Italy applauds Bangladesh’s government’s efforts and charity in allowing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to stay on its soil. According to Enrico Nunziata, “Since the Rohingya crisis began in August 2017, Italy has consistently contributed through major international organizations and UN agencies.”
In a media release on Wednesday, UNHCR stated that the contribution from Italy will allow it to offer protection services like registration, access to justice, assistance for survivors of gender-based violence, community-based protection, and kid-friendly areas.
Additionally, it will strengthen the refugee communities’ resilience until they can return to Myanmar through skill development for women and education, where teachers will be trained to use the Myanmar curriculum in the camps.
As a crucial component in preventing environmental deterioration in and around the camps, the funds will also support the provision of liquefied petroleum gas as a safe and clean source of cooking energy. These services include shelter, health, nutrition, water, and sanitation.
Approximately 920,000 Rohingyas are currently being housed in densely populated camps in Cox’s Bazar, with an additional 30,000 people living at Bhasan Char, five years after being forced to leave violence in Myanmar.
