SS News Desk
Cox’s Bazar, 20 April 2024:
Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh SAIDA Shinichi visited the Rohingya camp on his first official visit to Cox’s Bazar, where over 1 million Rohingya Refugees reside.
He visited registration, food distribution, learning and teachers training centres alongside livelihood skills development & production Centre, innovation valley, women-led community centre, and community initiative society project sites.
He attended the inauguration ceremony of the JICA’s Improvement of Fish Landing Center of Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation in Cox’s Bazar District project.
He had also met with the Refugee Relief & Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and the Armed Police Battalion (APBN).
Since the large influx in August 2017, Japan has contributed over 250 million USD to various interventions in Cox’s Bazar as well as in Bhasan Char through international organizations and NGOs. This assistance included food, healthcare, WASH, shelter, protection, and gender mainstreaming.
In addition, in September, the government of Japan decided to provide the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with assistance worth USD 1 million in response to the Flash Floods in northern and southeastern Bangladesh, including the Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar.
After visiting sites ambassador SAIDA said, ‘I understand the current situation in the camps impacted by the reduction of international support. At the same time, I saw how the aid funds provided by the Japanese government were being maximised in the refugee camps through the Bangladesh government, UN agencies, and NGOs.’
‘Japan will continue to support resolving this issue, including funding assistance and cooperation with the government and relevant agencies. Moreover, I am honoured to attend the inauguration of the JICA project, and I hope this new opening will improve living conditions of host communities,’ he added.
Source: Japan embassy press release provided on 20th April
