RRRC welcomes Ksrelief support for Rohingya refugees
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and Additional Secretary Mohammad Mizanur Rahman said food assistance provided by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre would further strengthen ties between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia.
He said Rohingyas have been living in Bangladesh as refugees for nearly nine years and that, on humanitarian grounds, the government has given them shelter while international organisations have continued to provide support.
"The food assistance programme undertaken by KSrelief for 42,000 Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar will further reinforce fraternal ties. The government and people of Saudi Arabia have always stood beside Bangladesh in difficult times and extended their support," he said.
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Mizanur Rahman made the remarks while inaugurating food assistance distribution among Rohingya families at Kutupalong-Unchiprang Rohingya Camp-22 in Unchiprang, Cox's Bazar, on Wednesday morning.
The initiative is being implemented by ISDE Bangladesh with funding from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre under a project titled "Emergency Food Assistance for Rohingya and Host Communities in Bangladesh".
He added that such support during the holy month of Ramadan would play an important role in meeting the food and nutritional needs of Rohingya refugees. At the same time, he stressed the need to ensure their safe and dignified repatriation through international cooperation.
The programme was chaired by SM Nazer Hossain, executive director of ISDE Bangladesh and vice president of the central committee of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh.
Among others, Camp-in-Charge Rajib Chowdhury, ISDE Programme Officer Md Jahangir Alam, Rohingya Response Programme Manager Md Jasim Uddin Siddiqui, Programme Officer Taj Uddin, MEAL Officer Mostak Ahmed and Field Officer Supom Barua also spoke at the event.
Representatives of the local administration, officials of ISDE Bangladesh, Rohingya community leaders, known as majhis, and other stakeholders were also present.
Speaking at the event, SM Nazer Hossain said food assistance was being distributed among poor and vulnerable Rohingya refugees as well as disadvantaged host community families, with most of the support allocated to Rohingya camps.
He said the initiative aims to strengthen food security and help meet the nutritional needs of the Rohingya population. He added that many underprivileged families struggle to ensure food security during Ramadan and that the assistance would bring some relief.
Under the project, ISDE will distribute food assistance among 60,000 families from both the Rohingya refugee and host communities. The programme began with the distribution of food packages to 1,500 Rohingya families at Camp-22 in Unchiprang.
Of the total packages, 42,000 are for Rohingya refugees and 18,000 for host community families in Cox's Bazar.
The beneficiaries include elderly people, children, widows, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Each family will receive 10kg of rice, 7kg of lentils, 3 litres of soybean oil, 3kg of sugar and 1kg of salt.
