The Government of Australia and UNHCR announced today a critical AUD25.25 million contribution to sustain life-saving assistance and protection for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh. The agreement was signed by the Australian High Commissioner, H.E. Ms Susan Ryle, and the UNHCR Acting Country Representative, Ms Juliette Murekeyisoni, at Padma State Guest House in the presence of the Honourable Foreign Minister, Dr Khalilur Rahman and Australia’s Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs and Assistant Minister for International Education, Hon Julian Hill MP. Australia’s latest contribution to UNHCR will provide vital flexible and multi-year funding to ensure provision of essential services for one of the world’s most vulnerable refugee populations and their host communities. Australia’s humanitarian assistance provides emergency food, water, protection and shelter and delivers essential education and health services, including for women, girls and people with disabilities. Australia’s contribution forms part of Australia’s new three-year AUD370 million humanitarian assistance package to address ongoing crises in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Since 2017, Australia has committed over AUD1.26 billion in humanitarian assistance to the response. Quotes attributable to the Australian High Commissioner, H.E. Ms Susan Ryle “Australia’s support to the humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh and Myanmar – more than AUD1.25 billion committed since 2017 – is Australia’s largest response globally. I am proud that Australia continues to play a leading role in the response. “Australia’s latest contribution of AUD25.25 million to UNHCR demonstrates that we remain steadfast in our support of displaced Rohingyas and their host communities in Bangladesh.”