EU steps up support to address Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh

The European Union has adopted a new 5 million euros programme to support the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, strengthening its response to the crisis.

The European Commission says the new initiative aims at supporting the identification and registration of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, facilitating the provision of humanitarian support, as well as at ensuring the better protection of particularly vulnerable individuals.

“The EU's initiative is a demonstration of its commitment to support the creation of all necessary conditions for the eventual voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh to their place of origin.”

In this respect, the EU's initiative aims to support the implementation of the bilateral repatriation agreement between the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh, which was signed on Nov 23.

This programme will build on ongoing identification and registration efforts, including biometric registration by the Bangladeshi government.

In view of the high levels of vulnerability among the refugees, where there are high numbers of women-led households, many of whom have suffered various forms of violence and deep psychological harm, individual protection and special assistance is essential to ensure appropriate, targeted humanitarian support.

During her visit to the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar on Nov 19, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, reiterated the European Union's support to the Bangladeshi authorities for receiving those who have fled Northern Rakhine State.

A vice–president of the European Commission, Mogherini also underlined the EUs commitment to provide humanitarian support to the refugees and stressed that "the European Union will continue to lead the work of the donor community because we believe that human dignity and peoples' lives must always be protected."

The EU earlier co-hosted donors' conference, which took place in Geneva in October, at which the European Union pledged the leading amount of new funding, and together the EU and its Member States pledged almost half of the overall amount.

The EU also took initiative to lead the resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish an independent, international Fact-Finding Mission for the situation in Northern Rakhine State, and then to extend its mandate.