BRAC and European Union sign agreement to strengthen integrated humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar
The partnership will expand critical programs for Rohingya refugees sheltering in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, as well as members of the host community.
DHAKA, BANGLADESH – BRAC and the European Union signed an agreement on Monday, 5 May 2025, 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, Dhaka, marks the beginning of a project titled “Humanitarian-Development Coexistence Nexus to Address the Rohingya Crisis in Cox’s Bazar.”
The agreement was signed by His Excellency Mr. Michael Miller, Ambassador of the European Union to Bangladesh, and Mr. Asif Saleh, Executive Director of BRAC, in the presence of senior representatives from both organizations.
The project is grounded in the principles of cost-effectiveness, efficiency, Accountability to Affected Populations, 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 4.45 million euros, 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.
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About BRAC
BRAC was founded in and has been working in Bangladesh for 53 years. Together with government, civil society organizations, communities and businesses, BRAC teams have worked with more than 130 million people living with inequality and poverty to create opportunities to realize human potential. BRAC operates as a solutions ecosystem, including social development programs, social enterprises, humanitarian response, a bank, and a university. Outside of Bangladesh, BRAC works with communities in marginalized situations, hard-to-reach areas, and post-disaster settings across Asia and Africa, with a particular focus on women and children.
About BRAC USA
Based in New York City, BRAC USA is an independent 501(c)3 organization that strengthens BRAC’s impact by raising awareness and mobilizing resources to support and amplify its programs for the people we serve.