1:11 am, Monday, 1 June 2026

Finland provides 2m Euro for Rohingyas

General view of the Thankhali refugee camp in the Bangladeshi district of Ukhia on November 15, 2017. More than 600,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh since a military crackdown in Myanmar in August triggered an exodus, straining resources in the impoverished country. / AFP PHOTO / Munir UZ ZAMAN (Photo credit should read MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

 

Finland contributed Euro 2 million to support Rohingyas in Bangladesh, helping sustain life-saving assistance and protection services amid growing humanitarian needs and funding challenges.

The contribution, announced by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), will help address critical funding gaps, including support for skills development and resilience-building programmes for Rohingyas, said a press release on Monday.

Nearly a decade after fleeing persecution and violence in Myanmar, around 1.2 million stateless Rohingya continue to live in Bangladesh, largely dependent on humanitarian assistance due to limited livelihood opportunities.

According to UNHCR, only 23 per cent of Rohingya households earned income through cash-for-work programmes in 2025, while 42 per cent relied on temporary and unstable sources of income and 35 per cent had no income source at all.

The agency said declining humanitarian funding is disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups, including women and girls, persons with disabilities, older people and around 150,000 new arrivals who have entered Bangladesh since early 2024.

“Finland’s stepped-up commitment shows great generosity at a time when the Rohingya response is facing declining funding, worsening camp conditions and rising protection risks,” said Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh.

He said the contribution reaffirmed the international community’s collective responsibility to protect Rohingya families and support them until conditions in Myanmar permit their voluntary, safe and dignified return.

Mari Ahmed, Charg’e d’Affaires of the Embassy of Finland in New Delhi, said Finland stands in solidarity with both Bangladesh and the Rohingya people.
She stressed the importance of investing not only in basic assistance but also in skills development, resilience-building initiatives and support for the most vulnerable refugees while ensuring that the crisis remains on the global agenda.

The contribution comes as the United Nations and its humanitarian partners seek renewed international support following the launch of the 2026 update of the Joint Response Plan (JRP) for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis on May 20.
The revised appeal seeks US Dollar 710.5 million to assist up to 1.56 million people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities.
Although the appeal represents a 26 per cent reduction from the 2025 plan and covers only essential life-saving assistance, it has already secured 60 per cent of the required funding.

Finland has long supported humanitarian efforts and multilateral initiatives for forcibly displaced populations worldwide. In addition to the Rohingya response contribution, Finland is providing UNHCR with EUR 7 million in flexible core funding for 2026 to support emergency responses and operations in underfunded crises globally.
UNHCR said sustained international engagement and financial support remain essential to strengthen Bangladesh’s response and ensure that Rohingya refugees and host communities continue to receive critical assistance until a durable solution is achieved, reports BSS.

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Finland provides 2m Euro for Rohingyas

Update Time : 09:32:23 pm, Sunday, 31 May 2026

 

Finland contributed Euro 2 million to support Rohingyas in Bangladesh, helping sustain life-saving assistance and protection services amid growing humanitarian needs and funding challenges.

The contribution, announced by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), will help address critical funding gaps, including support for skills development and resilience-building programmes for Rohingyas, said a press release on Monday.

Nearly a decade after fleeing persecution and violence in Myanmar, around 1.2 million stateless Rohingya continue to live in Bangladesh, largely dependent on humanitarian assistance due to limited livelihood opportunities.

According to UNHCR, only 23 per cent of Rohingya households earned income through cash-for-work programmes in 2025, while 42 per cent relied on temporary and unstable sources of income and 35 per cent had no income source at all.

The agency said declining humanitarian funding is disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups, including women and girls, persons with disabilities, older people and around 150,000 new arrivals who have entered Bangladesh since early 2024.

“Finland’s stepped-up commitment shows great generosity at a time when the Rohingya response is facing declining funding, worsening camp conditions and rising protection risks,” said Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh.

He said the contribution reaffirmed the international community’s collective responsibility to protect Rohingya families and support them until conditions in Myanmar permit their voluntary, safe and dignified return.

Mari Ahmed, Charg’e d’Affaires of the Embassy of Finland in New Delhi, said Finland stands in solidarity with both Bangladesh and the Rohingya people.
She stressed the importance of investing not only in basic assistance but also in skills development, resilience-building initiatives and support for the most vulnerable refugees while ensuring that the crisis remains on the global agenda.

The contribution comes as the United Nations and its humanitarian partners seek renewed international support following the launch of the 2026 update of the Joint Response Plan (JRP) for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis on May 20.
The revised appeal seeks US Dollar 710.5 million to assist up to 1.56 million people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities.
Although the appeal represents a 26 per cent reduction from the 2025 plan and covers only essential life-saving assistance, it has already secured 60 per cent of the required funding.

Finland has long supported humanitarian efforts and multilateral initiatives for forcibly displaced populations worldwide. In addition to the Rohingya response contribution, Finland is providing UNHCR with EUR 7 million in flexible core funding for 2026 to support emergency responses and operations in underfunded crises globally.
UNHCR said sustained international engagement and financial support remain essential to strengthen Bangladesh’s response and ensure that Rohingya refugees and host communities continue to receive critical assistance until a durable solution is achieved, reports BSS.