Mizzima
The UK government has just announced new funding to tackle root causes of displacement and illegal migration on a global level, and a commitment to support those in need in Myanmar.
The UK marked the second Global Refugee Forum with new support to improve the outcomes for refugees and others forced to flee their homes; new partnerships with World Bank on education and with UN on gender-based violence; continued lifesaving support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh; the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and internally displaced people in Somalia.
An ambitious new package of support for refugees and the countries that host them is being launched by the UK at the United Nation’s Global Refugee Forum taking place in Geneva 13 December.
MYANMAR PACKAGE
Regarding Myanmar, £4.5 million of the support announced on 13 December will be allocated to respond to the serious situation in Northern Shan, the Southeast, and Rakhine. This will go to local partners in those areas, partners who continue to demonstrate their ability to act fast and adapt to the very fluid circumstances on the ground.
Over 578,000 people are estimated to have been newly displaced due to the escalation of armed conflict since 26 October (UN OCHA). The UK’s localised response through small, capable, trusted national partners enabled the UK to get support to the IDP camp BP 125 and Rakhine quickly, despite immense access challenges.
Only 29% of the humanitarian appeal for 2023 for Myanmar has been funded, leaving a gap of $632 million
The UK is one of the top five humanitarian donors to Myanmar, committing over £25m for the humanitarian response in Myanmar this year.
WAR AND CYCLONE MOCHA
The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator has also just released an allocation of $7m from the Central Emergency Response Fund focusing on survival needs of new IDPs and host communities in Myanmar. This in addition to the $10m released for the Cyclone Mocha response earlier in the year. The UK currently contributes £52m per year centrally to the CERF, and has been the largest contributor to the CERF since its inception in 2026 providing $1.8 billion of core funding between 2006- 2023.
SUPPORT GLOBALLY
Whether in response to conflict or climate change, the number of people forced to flee their homes has risen by over 35 million since the first Global Refugee Forum in 2019. As a result, the need to tackle the root causes of displacement has never been greater. In doing so, not only will the UK be able to provide vital support to refugees and the countries that host them but also reduce the number of individuals attempting dangerous onward travel in a bid to enter the UK illegally.
To continue to drive forward the work initiated at the first Global Refugee Forum, as well as the commitments set out in the recently published International Development White Paper, the UK is announcing 15 pledges to help people forced to flee their homes, as well as the communities that host them.
As part of this, the UK is pledging greater support to ensure all forcibly displaced children have access to safe and high-quality education. This will give refugee children access to better jobs and a safer future, addressing a major driver of conflict and instability. To do this, the UK will provide £4 million to support partners working on refugee education. This includes a new partnership with the World Bank to give lower income host countries the financing and technical support they need to integrate refugee children into their national education systems.
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
A further £2 million will be made available to support the UN’s work to prevent and respond to gender-based violence faced by women and girls impacted by crises. Funding will support grassroots women’s rights organisations to prevent violence by empowering women and girls most at risk. It will also improve access to services for those affected and strengthen the implementation of laws and policies by ensuring institutions are effective, transparent and accountable.
The UK government’s International Development Minister, Andrew Mitchell said: “The number of people forced to leave their homes due to conflict or crisis rose from 89.3 million in 2021 to 108.4 million in 2022, and is estimated to further rise to over 110 million this year. These numbers are unprecedented.
“Today’s package will provide host countries with the support they need to help whole communities to thrive while also reducing the risk of exploitation. Together, we can ensure that refugees can live in safety and dignity with the education and skills they need to return home when conditions allow them to do so.”
ROHINGYA REFUGEE SUPPORT
The UK will also reaffirm its commitment to supporting communities most impacted by crises. £7 million worth of humanitarian aid will provide essential food and cooking fuel for Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh as well as support for affected communities in Myanmar to access clean water, food, and shelter. The UK will also continue to advocate for the rights of the Rohingya and to hold the perpetrators of the atrocities against them to account.
Over 500,000 internally displaced people in Somalia will also be supported through a new £25 million programme. This will work with local communities and government to find durable solutions to their displacement in the form of stronger land tenure, better housing and access to basic services, and more climate-resilient livelihoods. More than 3.8 million people in Somalia have been forced to leave their homes, many due to climatic shocks such as drought and flooding.
CONFLICT PREVENTION
Other pledges announced today include a commitment to ending statelessness and a vow to work with the global community to drive greater action on conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The commitments follow pledges made by the UK at the first Global Refugee Forum in 2019. As part of this, the UK pledged to create a new UK Resettlement Scheme, to boost the number of places on the Community Sponsorship Scheme, and to support refugees already in the UK through the Integrated Communities Action Plan.
SUPPORT FOR LEGAL MIGRATION
All of these commitments have now been fulfilled with the UK welcoming hundreds of thousands of people in need of international protection to its shores in the last four years. The UK has also launched a new and enhanced support package to help individuals to settle into life in the country. Refugees and displaced individuals arriving into the UK through safe and legal routes will continued to be supported through these programmes.
