UN appeals for $877m for Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh

United Nations agencies and NGO partners have appealed for $877m for about 855,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and 444,000 vulnerable Bangladeshis.

The 2020 Joint Response Plan, or JRP, for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis was launched on Tuesday, the UNHCR said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Support of the 2020 Joint Response Plan is essential to safeguarding the well-being of Rohingya refugees - both now in Bangladesh and once it is safe and sustainable for them to return home to Myanmar. Until then, the world must stand by the Rohingya and by the Government and people of Bangladesh who continue to host them. Most important will be engaging refugees and hearing their voices and understanding their hopes and vision for the future,” said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

The JRP’s strategic objectives include strengthening protection for refugee women, men, girls and boys; delivering life-saving assistance to those in need; fostering the well-being of affected Bangladeshi communities; and working towards sustainable solutions in Myanmar. The objectives are closely aligned with the longer-term Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The 2019 JRP was funded at just over 70 percent, or $650 million received against $921 million requested.