France will provide €400,000 equivalent to more than US$ 0.49 million to support life-saving nutrition activities for Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, reports UNB.
This contribution will help prevent and address moderate\ acute malnutrition among children under five and pregnant and nursing women living in refugee settlements in Cox's Bazar.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed the support on Sunday.
As part of this support, WFP provides Super Cereal, a fortified nutritious porridge, along with training on good nutrition practices.
"We highly appreciate the positive impact on children and women refugees from the nutrition programme and training conducted by the World Food Programme, with our €300,000 contribution in 2017," said Ambassador of France to Bangladesh Marie-Annick Bourdin.
"France expresses the hope that its 2018 support will further benefit both Rohingya refugees and local communities exposed to moderate\ acute malnutrition and warmly thanks WFP for its continuous efforts."
More than 5,000 children under five and 1,100 pregnant and nursing women in the refugee settlements of Cox's Bazar will benefit from France's support for this nutrition programme, said a press release.
Welcoming France's contribution, WFP Bangladesh Country Director Christa Räder said, "The nutrition situation in the camps remains critical. This is of particular concern for young children, nursing mothers and pregnant women. France's contribution will help us address this situation."
Almost 700,000 refugees have fled atrocities in Myanmar since August 2017, resulting in about one million Rohingya refugees living in Cox's Bazar district.
Meanwhile, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and its partners have trained thousands of volunteer Rohingyas on emergency preparedness and skills ahead of what is expected to be one of the most challenging periods since the refugee influx last year - the approaching monsoon.
The training and awareness sessions in the refugee settlements began several months ago.
It is estimated that up to 200,000 refugees could be at risk of flooding and or landslides, UNHCR said on Monday.
"As heavy rains and strong monsoon winds approach, it is critical that we stand firmly with the Rohingya refugees we serve," said UNHCR Head of Operations in Cox's Bazar Kevin J Allen.
"It's equally important that we empower and train refugees to play their role in the response, working hand-in-hand with the national authorities, sister UN agencies and civil society."
Many of the training programmes have provided additional skills for refugee volunteers who have been trained by UNHCR and its partners BRAC and Technical Assistance Inc. (TAI) as Community Outreach Members (COMs).
The COMs carry out house-to-house visits, identifying needs and advising families where they can get help.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
