EU mobilises international donors to support Rohingya refugees and countries in the region

Today the European Union, along with the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees co-hosted the International Donors’ Conference in solidarity with Rohingya refugees and countries in the region.

The EU mobilised a total of €96 million for Rohingya refugees in 2020 for humanitarian, development cooperation as well as conflict prevention support.

Representing the EU at the conference, Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič said: “Today the international community came together to show its support and deliver further assistance to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees and the communities hosting them. We must do all we can so the Rohingya crisis does not become a forgotten tragedy. At this difficult time, the EU continues to stand by the most vulnerable with this emergency humanitarian support.”

Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, said: “The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has increased the challenges on the ground. Today’s EU pledge reinforces our engagement with partners in support of people and development in the region. We must prevent a worsening of this crisis.”

EU aid for Rohingya refugees and countries

Today’s funding from the EU will focus on helping those most in need, channelled through UN agencies, NGOs and international organisations:

• Humanitarian assistance of €51.5 million – which includes a new allocation of €20 million from the Emergency Aid Reserve – to help refugees and vulnerable host communities. Priority sectors will be protection (including child protection, Gender Based-Violence), critical healthcare (including mental health) and nutrition, food assistance and key coordination roles.
• Development support of €39 million to strengthen the resilience and social cohesion of Rohingya refugees and host communities in Cox’s Bazar District and of internally displaced people in Rakhine State. Support will focus on strengthening basic social services, particularly education, health, food and nutrition security, as well as addressing protection and information needs.
• Conflict prevention support of €5.5 million to contribute to stability and peace in the region.

Background

The 25 August 2020 marked the 3rd anniversary of the mass fleeing of over 740,000 Rohingya from Myanmar, following major outbreaks of violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Over 860,000 Rohingya refugees currently live in Bangladesh, in Cox’s Bazar district, and over 150,000 in other countries of the region.

The UN estimates that approximately 600,000 remaining Rohingya people in Myanmar’s Rakhine continue to suffer from a protracted human rights crisis, with very limited access to basic services and viable livelihood opportunities due to strict movement restrictions and denied citizenship and rights.

Since 2017, the EU has provided over €226 million in humanitarian and development support to respond to the Rohingya crisis both in Myanmar and in Bangladesh. This includes basic humanitarian assistance for Rohingya populations, and host communities living close to the refugee settlements. The EU provides food assistance, shelter, health care, water and sanitation support, nutrition assistance, education, and protection services.

Today’s conference aimed to underscore the international community’s continued commitment to the humanitarian response for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh and throughout the region, and for Internally Displaced People in Rakhine State, Myanmar.