BRAC and European Union (EU) have signed an agreement to launch a new joint initiative aimed at strengthening integrated humanitarian support in Cox’s Bazar.
The agreement, signed at the BRAC Centre in Mohakhali of Dhaka on Monday, marks the beginning of a project titled “Humanitarian-Development Coexistence Nexus to Address the Rohingya Crisis in Cox’s Bazar.”
The deal was signed by Michael Miller, ambassador of the European Union to Bangladesh, and Asif Saleh, executive director of BRAC, in the presence of senior representatives from both organisations.
The project is grounded in the principles of cost-effectiveness, efficiency, accountability to affected populations (AAP), coexistence and community empowerment.
The initiative is expected to benefit more than 125,000 Rohingya individuals and nearly 2,500 members of the host community, with a strong focus on the inclusion of women, youth and persons with disabilities.
More than seven years since the onset of the Rohingya response in 2017, both refugee and host communities in Cox’s Bazar continue to face a protracted humanitarian crisis.
Challenges such as declining funding, rising social pressures and parallel service delivery systems have placed growing demands on limited local resources.
This project offers a mid-term, integrated solution by combining humanitarian and development approaches to enhance efficiency, accountability, and sustainability. It will empower communities through participation and capacity building, while promoting peaceful coexistence and cost-effective service delivery.
With an investment of EUR 4.45 million (approximately BDT 62 crore), the project will support individuals from both Rohingya and host communities in Cox's Bazar over a 24-month period. Its best practices and lessons learned aim to contribute to a replicable model for other protracted humanitarian crises.
The agreement underscores the shared commitment of BRAC and the European Union to delivering coordinated, effective and sustainable humanitarian assistance in one of the world’s most protracted displacement crises.