Dhaka, 2 September 2024: The Republic of Korea has provided the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with USD two million in assistance to strengthen protection and disaster resilience of vulnerable host communities in Cox's Bazar.

The one-year project was formalized by H.E. Mr. Park Young-sik, Ambassador of Korea to Bangladesh, and Mr. Abdusattor Esoev, Chief of Mission, IOM Bangladesh on Monday (2 September) afternoon. 

The project aims to address the existing protection gaps for victims of trafficking (VoTs), survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and other at-risk individuals in the host communities. It will provide comprehensive and integrated protection and prevention services while also enhancing the climate resilience of the host community by improving disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures and emergency response capabilities.

Ambassador Park Young-sik expressed his hope that the support from the Government of Korea will significantly improve the living conditions of the host communities through the implementation of the project.

“The contribution of USD 2 million from the Republic of Korea will support humanitarian activities for host communities and it demonstrates our commitment to providing humanitarian assistance for host communities as well as the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh” said Ambassador Park Young-sik. 

Throughout the project implementation, IOM will coordinate the interventions with the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG), the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and the District Administration as well as national and local authorities focused on the host community.

“Korea has been a vital partner for IOM in the Rohingya Refugee Response, assisting in addressing the significant challenges faced by both Rohingya refugees and host communities in Cox’s Bazar,” said Mr. Abdusattor Esoev, Chief of Mission, IOM Bangladesh. “As humanitarian funding for the response continues to decline, we are deeply grateful for the unwavering support from the people and Government of Korea, who have been steadfast in backing IOM’s interventions since the beginning of this crisis.”

Since the beginning of the emergency in August 2017, Korea has been a steady supporter of the Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh, contributing USD 10 million to IOM and other UN agencies as humanitarian aid in Bangladesh this year.

Editor’s Note about IOM’s Rohingya Crisis Response: 

IOM has been present in Cox's Bazar since 2010 when coordination began with the Government of Bangladesh and the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) on repatriation and third-country resettlement of refugees from Myanmar living in official camps in Cox's Bazar. In 2013, IOM's work expanded to primary healthcare and improving water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and services both for the refugees and vulnerable host communities. Since the influx of 2017, IOM has been managing approximately 17 camps covering about half of the population in need. On the ground in Cox’s Bazar and with 17 of 33 Rohingya refugee camps under its area of responsibility (AoR) IOM has strong operational and technical capacities in the development and implementation of innovative and effective solutions, experienced human resources, local knowledge, and an established NGO network. 
 

For more information, please contact: 

Tarek Mahmud, National Communication Officer, IOM Bangladesh, email: tmahmud@iom.int, phone: +880 01752 380 240