EU donates $ 6.9 lakh to protect children in Bangladesh

Hossen Sohel of DOT
The European Union has contributed over US$ 690,000 to support UNICEF’s work to protect the rights of children affected by migration in Bangladesh, reports UNB.
The contribution will directly reach an estimated 12,000 children over the next three years who are migrating or have been forcibly displaced within their own countries or across borders, said UNICEF yesterday.
Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, Rensje Teerink said all children, regardless of their migration status, must be protected.
“We have to ensure their access to education, healthcare and sanitation, social and legal services, and psychological support. And this is what the EU is committed to do. In cooperation with partners like UNICEF, we help Bangladesh to strengthen its national child protection system – in order to ensure that no child is left behind,” she said.
The programme is being implemented across multiple regions of UNICEF operations in Southeast, South and Central Asia and will also reach children affected by migration including children left behind by parents or caregivers who have migrated often in search of better economic opportunities to support their families.
In Bangladesh, the project will focus on issues of internal and cross border migration of children including children who are at risk or survivors of trafficking.
It is expected that many more children will benefit through policy changes that will strengthen child protection systems.
According to official estimates, there is evidence of Bangladeshi children and women been trafficked from Bangladesh to India.
Bangladesh Government reported around 5000 of Bangladeshis who have been identified in 2014 and 2015 in India and the Middle East. Bangladesh is also hosting a large number of Rohingya population that entered into Bangladesh to escape from persecution by the Myanmar government in Rakhain state of Mayanmar.