UK Extends Funding For Rohingya Refugees

The UK has extended funding to support Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh, providing an additional £4.5 million for vital humanitarian services. 

UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, announced the funding at a UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) regional conference on the Rohingya crisis in Bangkok on Tuesday (October 17), said a press release.

Minister Trevelyan is attending the conference alongside Bangladesh’s foreign minister AK Abdul Momen and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. 

Anne-Marie Trevelyan said, “The UK is committed to finding a long-term solution to the Rohingya crisis. This includes their safe, voluntary and dignified return to Myanmar, when the conditions there allow.

“Until the Rohingya can safely return to their homeland, we are committed to providing ongoing humanitarian support. That is why we are announcing £4.5 million of further UK support for protection services, healthcare and clean energy to the refugees in Bangladesh.

“Today’s conference is an important opportunity to discuss sustainable solutions in Myanmar, and support for the Rohingya and their host countries.”

The package of £4.5 million funding includes:

£2.1 million provided through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for healthcare and clean energy for the Rohingya refugees and host communities. 

£2 million provided through NGOs for the protection of refugees and host communities. This includes the Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, and Humanity and Inclusion.

£450,000 provided through the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and provide sexual and reproductive health services.

Since 2017, the UK has provided £370 million to support Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh, and nearly £30 million to support Rohingya and other Muslim minorities in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. This has included food, water and sanitation, healthcare and protection services that are vital for women and girls in the camps.

The UK supports peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific and continues to stand with the people of Myanmar. We reiterate our call for an end to all violence and for the protection of civilians and safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all those in need.

The UK’s sustained support for the Rohingya people demonstrates its long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, critical to the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy, in line with the Integrated Review Refresh published in March 2023.