Finland Boosts Aid for Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh as Funding Declines

(MENAFN) Finland has pledged an additional £2 million (around $2.23 million) in humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh, as international funding for the crisis continues to decline, according to reports.

The contribution, announced by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), is intended to support life-saving services and strengthen protection efforts for displaced Rohingya communities in the Cox’s Bazar region.

According to a statement from UNHCR’s Dhaka office, the new funding will help address urgent gaps in assistance, including areas such as skills training and resilience-building programmes.

Nearly ten years after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar, about 1.2 million Rohingya refugees remain in Bangladesh, while global financial support for their needs has steadily decreased.

The UN agency warned that the funding shortage is hitting the most vulnerable groups hardest, including women and girls, people with disabilities, older refugees, and roughly 150,000 new arrivals since early 2024 who are still without adequate shelter due to overcrowding in the camps.

As stated by UNHCR, the situation is becoming increasingly fragile due to shrinking aid budgets, deteriorating camp conditions, rising protection risks, and ongoing instability in Myanmar. UNHCR’s representative in Bangladesh, Ivo Freijsen, said Finland’s increased support demonstrates significant generosity at a critical time.

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