Mohammad Khorshed Helali, Cox’s Bazar:
An agreement has been signed between BRAC and the European Union to strengthen integrated humanitarian assistance in Cox’s Bazar. The agreement was signed today, Monday, May 5, 2025, at BRAC Centre in Mohakhali, marking the launch of a project titled “Humanitarian-Development Coexistence Nexus to Address the Rohingya Crisis in Cox’s Bazar.”
The agreement was signed by European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller and BRAC Executive Director Asif Saleh on behalf of their respective organizations.
Cost-efficiency, accountability to the affected population, coexistence, and empowerment of the local population are the core principles of this project. It is expected that over 125,000 members of the Rohingya community and approximately 2,500 local people (host community) will benefit from this initiative. Special emphasis will be placed on women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
Even after seven years of the Rohingya crisis beginning in 2017, both the refugee and local communities in Cox’s Bazar continue to face a prolonged humanitarian crisis. Challenges such as decreasing aid funding, increasing multi-dimensional social pressures, and the strain on limited local resources to provide essential services are exacerbating the situation in the region.
To address these challenges, the project will offer a mid-term integrated solution with a focus on efficiency, accountability, and sustainable outcomes, combining both humanitarian and developmental approaches. The initiative will enhance the participation and capacity of the general population, empowering the local community, and ensuring peaceful coexistence and cost-effective services. With a 44.5 million Euro (approximately 620 million BDT) investment, this 24-month project will serve the Rohingya community and the local population in Cox’s Bazar. The knowledge and experience gained from this initiative will contribute to creating models for addressing humanitarian crises in various regions across the world.
This initiative reaffirms the joint commitment of BRAC and the European Union to ensure an integrated, effective, and sustainable humanitarian assistance program to address one of the world’s longest-running humanitarian crises.
