Canada provides CAD 10m for clean cooking fuel, environmental protection for Rohingya

Canada today (12 April) announced a contribution of CAD 10 million to support clean, safe, and sustainable cooking fuel for nearly 12 lakh Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar.

The funding, channelled through UNHCR and IOM, will ensure the continued supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to Rohingya households.

According to a UNHCR press release, the initiative is crucial for meeting cooking needs while helping preserve the fragile environment around the camps. It also enhances the safety, health, and dignity of refugees, particularly women and children.

"Canada remains a longstanding and steadfast partner in the Rohingya response," said Ajit Singh, high commissioner of Canada to Bangladesh.

He noted that this climate-responsive humanitarian support will help reduce deforestation and carbon emissions in an environmentally fragile district, benefiting refugees, host communities, and the wider population.

"It will also reduce risks faced by vulnerable people, especially women and girls, including those associated with collecting firewood," he added.

Juliette Murekeyisoni, UNHCR deputy representative in Bangladesh, noted that, nearly nine years on, the Rohingya continue to face one of the world's most complex and protracted displacement crises, worsened by climate vulnerability.

"Canada's support comes at a crucial time, and I am deeply grateful for it. Sustained international solidarity remains essential to ensuring that refugees can live in dignity while efforts continue toward conditions for their voluntary, safe, and dignified return," she said.

Giuseppe Loprete, chief of mission for IOM in Bangladesh, appreciated Canada's aid, saying safe and reliable energy is fundamental to the well-being of families who have endured immense hardship over the past nine years.