Japan Pledges $2 Million for Rohingyas in Bangladesh

Japan will contribute a total of $2 million in emergency grant aid for supporting the displaced Rohingya Muslims living in Bhasan Char, reports UNB.

This contribution includes $1 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and $1 million to World Food Programme (WFP), according to the Embassy of Japan in Dhaka.

This support will allow implementing humanitarian assistance activities for the displaced Rohingyas, who are in need of urgent assistance in Bhasan Char in areas such as food and health, the embassy said in a press release on Friday.

“Resolving Rohingya issues is of utmost importance for the peace and stability of the region. I appreciate the Bangladesh government’s efforts to protect the Rohingya people and the dedicated work of the international organizations," Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki said.

Japan supports the steady and smooth operations of the international organizations under the MoU signed between the Bangladesh government and the United Nations in October 2021, "which is a basic framework of assistance for Bhasan Char", the embassy said.

"Japan expects the UN will respond to prevailing and increasing humanitarian and protection needs on the island, and strongly hopes that this assistance will contribute to better service delivery and improve living conditions of people living on Bhasan Char,” said Ambassador Naoki. 

"While providing support to Bhasan Char, given the fact that the vast majority of the Rohingya population still live in Cox's Bazar, it is important to continue to support the people in the coastal district, including the host communities."

Japan will continue to cooperate with international organizations and NGOs at both locations along with the government of Bangladesh, the embassy said in its statement.

"Japan will continue to stand by Bangladesh and work towards the early repatriation of displaced Rohingyas to Myanmar."

Finding durable solutions to this crisis is significant not only to Bangladesh but also to the stability of the entire region, and thereby conducive to the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”, which is a vision to secure peace, stability and prosperity in the region, according to Japanese embassy.