UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed today an agreement worth US$ 2 million to improve living conditions of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The agreement was signed by Waleed Albahar, General Director of KFAED, and Nisreen Rubaian, UNHCR’s Representative in Kuwait at the Fund’s headquarters.
The agreement is set to fund UNHCR activities in the sectors of energy and shelter to improve the living conditions of Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. More than 35,000 refugees will benefit from a 12-month supply of LPG cylinders (liquefied petroleum gas) as cooking energy, limiting the refugees’ need for firewood. This will in turn contribute to reducing deforestation and decrease the likelihood of landslides that endanger refugees’ lives. Additionally, the contribution aims to maintain, repair and reinforce shelters in Cox’s Bazar to support 110,900 refugees and protect them from extreme weather conditions and the impact of climate change.
In this occasion, Nisreen Rubaian, UNHCR Representative in Kuwait, stated: “We are grateful to KFAED’s continuous support to UNHCR, which reflects the unwavering commitment of the State of Kuwait towards supporting the humanitarian causes.” She added: “This agreement comes at a critical time when the humanitarian needs of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are increasing. With this contribution, UNHCR will be able to provide vital support to refugees by offering more environmentally friendly sources of energy and repairing shelters, which will contribute to improving the living conditions and enhancing their sense of safety and security. Together, we will help protect both the environment and the refugees, while continuing to mitigate the devastating effects of displacement and climate change.”
Sumbul Rizvi, UNHCR’s representative in Bangladesh, stated: “As the humanitarian response for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh just reached the seven-year mark, the sustained support of Kuwait and the Kuwait Fund to UNHCR’s activities in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar remains invaluable.” She also added: “This contribution will ensure the distribution of LPG, a cleaner cooking energy to Rohingya refugees, improving refugees’ health and living conditions, while also helping prevent gender-based violence and other protection risks related to the collection of firewood from forests. It will also provide critical and timely support, as shelters made of bamboo and tarpaulin cannot withstand the severe weather events that Bangladesh, at the frontline of climate change, faces.”
Commenting on the occasion, Waleed Albahar, General Director of KFAED, said: The Fund’s goals are to improve the lives, security, and health of the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. These efforts will be done by providing essential building materials to reinforce their homes, as well as liquefied petroleum gas for cooking to around 18 thousand families for a 12-month period, noting that the agreement will reach around 140 thousand individuals, he added. This contribution is the sixth between the Fund and UNHCR in humanitarian support, and the first to support the Rohingya in Bangladesh, adding that the total grants provided to UNHCR since the start in 2016 amounts to about USD 22 million, Al-Bahar pointed out.
After seven years of the large-scale forced displacement of Rohingya refugees in August 2017, UNHCR and its partners continue to provide for the most basic needs and protection to refugees. UNHCR renews its calls for solidarity from the international community with sustainable funding for the humanitarian efforts to assist refugees and the communities hosting them in Bangladesh.
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