Of this donation, €12 million or Tk 1.14 billion will be used in COVID-19 responses, the union said in a statement on Thursday.
The rest of the fund, €20 million or Tk 1.9 billion will address the need of both host communities and refugees through an integrated approach on improved access to basic services in education, food security and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene or WASH to enhance their resilience and protection.
The €20 million action also includes a complementary small cross-border operation worth €1 million to enhance conflict sensitivity and mutual understanding among civil society organisations assisting the refugees, internally displaced people and host communities on the other side of the border.
All EU-funded activities will address important cross-cutting issues such as protection of girls and women, sexual and gender-based violence and psychosocial support.
“The €32 million funding is an important contribution to Bangladesh’s continuous generosity and humanity in hosting Rohingya that fled neighbouring Myanmar,” said Rensje Teerink, the ambassador of the EU.
“It is part of the Team Europe global response to fight COVID-19 with a specific component supporting the needs of both Bangladeshi Host Communities of Cox’s Bazar and Rohingya in the camps to limit the crisis worsened by the pandemic,” she added.
The funding contributes to the 2030 Agenda’s call to “leave no one behind” in line with the strategic objectives of the UN Joint Response Plan 2020, including the current COVID-19 challenges.
It promotes a comprehensive, development-led response to the forced displacement in line with EU policy and the Team Europe global response to COVID-19, the statement said.
The actions will be implemented by the UNHCR, UNICEF and UNOPS.