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Australia announces funding to build community resilience in Cox’s Bazar

DHAKA – The Australian Government has announced additional support of AUD3.9 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to improve nutrition and build community resilience in Cox’s Bazar.

Undernutrition and food insecurity are at crisis levels in Cox’s Bazar and poverty is well above the national average. More than 30,000 people live in official refugee camps and more than one hundred thousand others are in makeshift camps or hosted in the community.

These communities have also been affected by Cyclone Mora, which damaged shelters and destroyed food supplies. Australian funds have enabled WFP to respond in a timely manner to assist the most vulnerable, particularly women and children.

Australian Government funding will deliver much-needed food assistance, including nutritionally-enriched foods to pregnant mothers and infants. The funds will also support income generation activities targeted at vulnerable women and female-headed households.

Australia’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Julia Niblett, visited WFP activities in Cox’s Bazar in February, and said: “It is clear that WFP is able to move quickly and nimbly to assist those people most in need, while at the same time supporting host and local communities to become more resilient.”

Christa Räder, WFP Representative said: “There is a growing need for food and livelihoods assistance among most vulnerable local people and those who have come from North Rakhine of Myanmar and have been accommodated in makeshift sites and villages of Cox’s Bazar. The funding from the Australian Government has been reliable and flexible, allowing us to help those in need, fast”.

Since 2013, the Australian Government has supported WFP’s work in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, with assistance totalling AUD16.5 million.

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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Christa Räder, Representative, WFP Bangladesh, christa.rader@wfp.org, Tel. +880-171-159-6032
Line Sofie Adser, Communications Officer, WFP Bangladesh, linesofie.adser@wfp.org, Tel. +880-2-9183022 ext. 2164
Fairooz Nigar Aditi, Public Diplomacy Officer, Australian High Commission Bangladesh, aditi.nigar@dfat.gov.au