British Minister for International Development Baroness Jenny Chapman visited Cox’s Bazar on Thursday to observe humanitarian aid programmes for Rohingya refugees and local communities.
The minister arrived in Cox’s Bazar by air from Dhaka at 7:30am and coordinated with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to visit Balukhali Rohingya Camp 7 in Ukhiya.
Throughout the day, she inspected education, women’s empowerment, food distribution, and skills development initiatives.
From 10am to 11am, Baroness Chapman reviewed the quality of education, curriculum, and learning environment for Rohingya children at a UNHCR-funded learning centre managed by Friendship.
She then visited a women’s support centre run by PULSE Bangladesh under IOM funding, where she inquired about mental health services, handicraft programmes, and initiatives aimed at promoting women’s self-reliance.
In the afternoon, she visited a food distribution centre operated by the World Food Programme (WFP) to observe the digital ration distribution process and gather feedback from beneficiaries.
She later visited a soap production and skills development project run by the NGO PROTTASHA in the Kutupalong Madhurchhara area.
Baroness Chapman was accompanied by Special Adviser Amelie Gericke, British Deputy High Commissioner to Bangladesh James Goldman, Head of Humanitarian Team Ellie Moody, Humanitarian Adviser Marinella Bebos Golshetti, Communications Manager Sheikh Angkan, and Digital Communications Officer Sajid Hasan.
The day-long visit was coordinated by Syed Md Tafhim, local coordinator and communications officer of the Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG).
The visit aimed to monitor ongoing humanitarian programmes on the ground and gain insights into the UK’s future support for Rohingya and local communities.
Baroness Chapman returned to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar Airport at 3:30pm and is scheduled to meet with various diplomats of the Bangladesh interim government.
