Mizzima News

Dhaka (Mizzima) - Germany has pledged US$ 431,655 to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) mainly for Rohingya refugee relief work in Bangladesh.

The aid is meant to improve the situation of Rohingya refugees of Burma, officially known as Myanmar, in the Cox’s Bazaar camps as well as improving the infrastructure of schools outside the camps to benefit Bangladeshi children in the coastal district, according to an announcement in the capital, Dhaka.

At the same time, Gunter Nooke, Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, visited Bangladesh along with human rights ambassadors from Denmark and the Netherlands.

On October 13, the delegation visited Kutupalong refugee camp near Cox’s Bazaar and met government officials, UN agencies, non-governmental organization (NGOs) and the refugees.

“The government in Dhaka is tackling the major challenges with regard to respect for and protection of human rights. We want to encourage the government in this endeavour,” Commissioner Nooke said in a statement before embarking on the trip.

Saber Azam, UNHCR representative in Bangladesh, said, “We are extremely grateful for this contribution. It is critical that we not only support refugees in the camps but also the Bangladeshi community, who have been hosting refugees for almost two decades and who are also in need of assistance.”