The European Union (EU) is providing €175 000 in humanitarian funding to support efforts to prevent measles in Bangladesh.

This funding will benefit communities in Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Rangpur, Mymensingh, said the EU Embassy in Dhaka on Monday.

This EU funding will be provided to the Bangladesh Red Crescent to facilitate and sustain ongoing vaccinations’ campaigns and carry out other prevention activities, such as distributing hygiene kits.

The most vulnerable families will also receive cash grants to help them face illness-related costs, such as transport to health centres or loss of income due to caring responsibilities. It is also foreseen the delivery of medical equipment to healthcare facilities.

The funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The EU remains a leading humanitarian donor in Bangladesh. In 2026, the EU is providing more than €23 million already allocated this year for humanitarian partners in the country.

This includes €16.4 million in humanitarian aid to provide life-saving assistance to Rohingya refugees living in the country, mostly in Cox’s Bazar, as well as the host communities; while €7 million is dedicated to support disaster preparedness, and disaster risk reduction and resilience efforts in Bangladesh.

The EU and its Member States are the world’s leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world.

It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.

The EU is signatory to a €12 million humanitarian delegation agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF)