Unicef gets $15.7 million Japanese fund for Rohingya children

Unicef has scaled up its humanitarian assistance and life-saving interventions for the Rohingya children and women along with the vulnerable host population in Cox's Bazar with $15.7 million funding received from the Japan government. 

"The Government of Japan recognized the desperate needs of the Rohingya children and their families, as well as those who became vulnerable in the host communities in Cox's Bazar due to massive influx and decided to assist the population," Unicef said in a press release today. 

The UN organisation for children said that this new grant would allow it and its partners to continue providing child protection, healthcare, safe drinking water and sanitation support to Rohingya children and women and their families. 

"It will also open up opportunities for Unicef to include more people from the host communities and strengthen their resilience to cope with the challenges that entailed the Rohingya crisis," the release said.

Appreciating the much-needed support in the first six months of the crisis, Unicef Bangladesh Representative Edouard Beigbeder said that Unicef Bangladesh is grateful to the government and the people of Japan for their generous support during a time of immense crisis. 

Unicef, with partners, has so far treated more than 15,000 children with severe acute malnutrition; provided psychosocial support to more than 142,300 children; and vaccinated 354,982 children with measles-rubella vaccines, 431,448 children against diphtheria, and 700,487 people against cholera. Unicef-supported health facilities have so far provided healthcare to more than 53,000 children under five years of age. 

With local partners and the Bangladesh Army, Unicef is now providing access to safe drinking water to 291,700 people and sanitation services to 392,250 people and aims to scale up the services further. Nearly 90,000 children aged between 4 and14 years of age are now enrolled in 860 Unicef-supported learning centres.

Unicef has appealed for US$144.6 million in 2018 to respond to the Rohingya crisis in Cox's Bazar area. So far, Unicef has 30 per cent funding available against its 2018 appeal requirement. An additional $100.8 million is required to fully deliver on the response.

Source: bss