Italy’s contribution to ‘Rohingya Funding’

Italy has announced EUR 3 million for the continued protection and humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The announcement was made recently by Enrico Nunziata, Italian ambassador to Bangladesh, while Johannes van der Klaauw, UNHCR representative in Bangladesh, welcomed it.

Since the beginning of the Rohingya refugee crisis in August 2017, Italy has constantly given its contribution through main international organizations and UN agencies. Earlier, five years after the breakout of the Rohingya crisis, the Italian Embassy and 13 other
foreign missions in Bangladesh deliver a joint statement in solidarity with the Rohingya people and the people of Bangladesh on August 25, 2022.

The Italian government expressed grave concern for 2017 Rohingya exodus in Bangladesh from Myanmar and pledged 7 million euros for Rohingya refugees. Italy pledged to provide an additional €1 million ($1.1 million) IN 2020 in aid to Rohingya. Muslims living in makeshift camps in Bangladesh’s southern district of Cox’s Bazar, according to
media reports.

This contribution from the government and the people of Italy helpED UNHCR continue
providing lifesaving protection and assistance for almost one million Rohingya refugees in
Bangladesh who remain reliant on humanitarian assistance for survival. This included access to health, water and sanitation, as well as crucial protection services, and also support for refugees’ education and skills development, particularly for women and children.

This generous contribution from Italy, which came from its foreign policy budget, highlighted the longer-term nature of this commitment and was all the more welcome now that we anticipate significant reduction in financial support from the international community.

The grant of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation was a
contribution to the activities of the Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh and
UNHCR on Rohingya’s protection as set up in the Joint Response Plan, in line with the
commitment of the Italian government to maintain access to critical and life-sustaining services for refugees living both in Cox’s Bazar camps and on Bhasan Char.

Italy praised the efforts and generosity of the Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh in hosting hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees within its territory. “
It is Italy in Europe which can play a significant role in resolving the ‘Rohingya refugee crisis. As an active member of the European Union and ‘United Nations Security Council’, Italy can do some for Rohingya refugees.

Now is the time to put pressure on the Rohingya crisis. Because those forces are killing the
people of their country after a military coup in February this year. Italy can contribute more in this regard.

Bangladesh urged Italy to stand by Bangladesh in resolving the long-running Rohingya problem. Italy assured to stand by Bangladesh in resolving the crisis. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the commitment in the capital Rome during a bilateral meeting with visiting Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

However, Italy can motivate to change the attitude of the international community towards the Rohingya crisis. Italy can engage itself with the international community especially Russia and China in this regard. Beijing and Mosco need to come out from Pandora box on the Rohingya issue.

As an active member of the EU, Italy should play a significant role at the platform. All members of the Platform including France can pressurize Myanmar to take back the Rohingyas. Italy can raise the issue at the seminars, sessions, at the EU.
Italy and all members of the EU should stop selling military equipment imposing an embargo.

Pressure on Myanmar can be the strict solution to this problem. Italy can play an effective role in the EU in this regard. Italian Companies can Suspend any kind of activities in Myanmar. Italy has very good bilateral trade ties with ASEAN. Italy can negotiate with the members of ASEAN in this regard.

Recent contribution from Italy will enable the UNHCR to provide protection services such as
registration, access to justice, support for survivors of gender-based violence, community-based protection and child-friendly spaces.

It will also empower the refugee communities, through education, by training teachers to
implement the Myanmar curriculum in the camps, and skills development for women, to
improve their resilience until they can return to Myanmar.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes the generous contribution of EUR 3 million by the Government of Italy for the continued protection and humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The announcement was made today by H.E. Enrico Nunziata, Ambassador of Italy in Bangladesh, and Johannes van der Klaauw, UNHCR Representative.

“This contribution from the Government and the people of Italy will help UNHCR continue
providing lifesaving protection and assistance for almost one million Rohingya refugees in
Bangladesh who remains reliant on humanitarian assistance for survival. This includes access to health, water, and sanitation, as well as crucial protection services, but also support for refugees’ education and skills development, particularly for women and children.” said Johannes van der Klaauw. “This generous contribution from Italy, which comes from its Foreign Policy budget, highlights the longer-term nature of this commitment and is all the more welcome now that we anticipate significant reduction in financial support from the international community,” he added.

The grant of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is a
contribution to the activities of the Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh and
UNHCR on Rohingya’s protection as set up in the Joint Response Plan, in line with the
a commitment of the Italian Government to maintain access to critical and life-sustaining services for refugees living both in Cox’s Bazar camps and on Bhasan Char. Praising the efforts and generosity of the Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh in hosting hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees on its territory, since the beginning of the refugee crisis in august 2017, Italy has constantly given its contribution through main international organizations and UN agencies, said H.E. Enrico Nunziata.

The contribution from Italy will enable UNHCR to provide protection services such as
registration, access to justice, support for survivors of gender-based violence, community-based protection and child-friendly spaces. It will also empower the refugee communities, through education, by training teachers to implement the Myanmar curriculum in the camps, and skills development for women, to improve their resilience until they can return to Myanmar.

The funds will also support the delivering of essential services, such as shelter, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, as well as the provision of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a safe and clean source of cooking energy, a key contributor in the prevention of degradation of the environment in and around the camps.

Five years after being forced to flee violence in Myanmar, some 920,000 Rohingya refugees are currently hosted in densely populated camps in Cox’s Bazar, with an additional 30,000 refugees residing on Bhasan Char. Italy's contribution to Rohingyas is really appreciable.

We know that US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has said the United States are working to significantly increase resettlement of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister had asked for the US to take in 100,000 Rohingya, and similar requests had been made to the UK and Japan’s governments.

The US government will take 62 Rohingyas in the first wave. “300 to 800 Rohingyas are
anticipated to be moved to the USA annually.” 24 migrants have already departed for their new location.

Japan, the foremost liberal democracy in Asia and a steadfast ally of Bangladesh on all
fronts—strategic, economic, and humanitarian—had mostly been silent on the Rohingya
problem. In the past, Japan has given Bangladesh financial support to help the refugees. Now Japan, after USA, would like to resettle some Rohingyas. This initiative can usher the Rohingya crisis solution in terms of ‘Third Country resettlement’. Tokyo’s Rohingya resettlement initiative after US is appreciable. Now, Italy can follow the US, Japan’s footprint.

Italy’s assistance as a permanent member of the UN Security Council would be very positive. If they want, a way can be made to solve the Rohingya crisis. Four years ago, another permanent member of the Security Council, the United Kingdom, proposed to the Security Council that Myanmar work with the United Nations to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis. The issue did not go far as China and Russia boycotted the initiative. In the changed circumstances, if Italy takes such an initiative again, it can be successful. The Myanmar government signed an agreement with Bangladesh in late 2017 to repatriate the Rohingya. So far, repatriation has not started as per the agreement. In addition, new crises including security are being created.

More involvement of international is needed to assist in the repatriation of Rohingya. More
countries have to involve in this. It is the responsibility of the international community to work actively to address this humanitarian crisis. Italy can play an important ant role because the acceptance and credibility of Italy amongst the international community is huge.

Bangladesh-Italy ties and cooperation are boosting up. Italian investments in Bangladesh are increasing day by day. Thus, Italy should resolve the problem of Bangladesh immediately for ensuring its own interest.

Canada and the Netherlands are assisting in the case against Myanmar over Rohingya genocide in the ICJ. Those two countries including Italy should come forward. The Rohingya crisis is a global crisis. This is not a crisis in Bangladesh.

(Erina Haque is a Bangladesh affairs, Sino-Indo-Pak affairs, Myanmar, and Rohingya refugee affairs, an Afghan refugee affairs researcher, and a freelance writer.)