UN World Food Programme: Germany provides $4.5m for Rohingyas

The Germany government has contributed a new USD 4.5 million funding to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support the Rohingya community in Bangladesh.

With the latest contribution, Germany has provided WFP Bangladesh with a total of USD 30 million since the onset of the refugee crisis in 2017, said a WFP press release issued yesterday.

Donated through German Federal Foreign Office, the new funding will be used for food support and telecommunications services for the community, the release said.

Welcoming the new funding, WFP said the support will help towards the critical work for Rohingya families and their host communities in Cox's Bazar.

"At a time when Covid-19 is exacerbating inequalities and severely impacting communities in Bangladesh and also around the world, we are especially grateful for such an act of solidarity and generosity from Germany," said Richard Ragan, WFP country director in Bangladesh.

This contribution will support the Bangladesh government to meet its commitment to the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals and their host communities, said Md Mohsin, secretary of disaster management and relief ministry.

He said lifesaving assistance is particularly important now amid the ongoing pandemic and heavy monsoon rain, both of which are posing great risks to vulnerable families.

"As a longstanding partner to the government of Bangladesh and WFP, we are pleased to know that our contribution is helping humanitarian workers in the frontline continue their lifesaving work for some of the most vulnerable people during such trying times," said Peter Fahrenholtz, Germany ambassador to Bangladesh.

The entire population of about 8,59,000 Rohingyas living across the camps in Cox's Bazar relies on WFP for food, said the release.

In addition, WFP provides nutrition and livelihood support to the host communities to improve their long-term food security outlook, it said.