The Italian government has reaffirmed its support for Rohingya refugees by contributing €2.5 million to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday, to strengthen life-saving assistance and protection efforts in Bangladesh.
The funding comes from Farnesina, Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, along with its Directorate General for Migration Policies.
According to UNHCR, the contribution will sustain crucial community-based protection programmes, enhance measures to prevent gender-based violence, support child protection, and maintain refugee rights through continued registration and documentation.
Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh, said, “Italy remains a steadfast supporter of the Rohingya refugee response.”
Antonio Alessandro, Italy’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, said the country has supported international efforts under the Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya crisis from the very beginning. Italy has consistently worked to ensure dignity for Rohingya refugees, as well as hope for the future.
He also praised Bangladesh for its engagement with key stakeholders to find solutions to the long-standing crisis.
Now in its eighth year, the Rohingya crisis remains among the world’s most prolonged refugee emergencies. Around 1.16 million refugees live in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char island, relying almost entirely on humanitarian aid for food, shelter, clean water, healthcare, and other essentials.
Since early 2024, around 1,50,000 Rohingyas have arrived in the camps, fleeing ongoing violence and human rights abuses in Rakhine State, Myanmar, which has further intensified humanitarian needs in Bangladesh.
Italy’s renewed funding comes at a time when global humanitarian resources are shrinking, forcing aid agencies to make tough decisions on prioritising assistance and risking setbacks in refugee health, well-being, and self-reliance.
