Dhaka, 21 December, 2020 (TON) Halima Akter, Bangladesh:

The European Union (EU) has agreed to provide $25.7 million to the United Nations Children Fund's (UNICEF) child protection project in Bangladesh in the following four years.

This announcement has been come from both sides mutually on a press release on Sunday.

Tomoo Hozumi, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh, mentioned that the European Union's support is a remarkable achievement for Bangladesh to assist children, especially children living with disabilities. During the COVID-19 period, such a notable contribution will help more to protect child rights. It will also ensure children's equal opportunities and equal social service.

According to the speech of the delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh Maurizio Cian, as families face a hard time tackling challenges in mid of the pandemic, we must invest now for the enriching full potential of the children and adolescents to contribute to their society in the future.

The project is, especially, for the adolescents and children living with disabilities including the street children. More than 10 million children will be provided social services under this project, and they will get their rights. It will emphasize the child protection system, policies, and legislation to secure child rights.

There is little initiative regarding children with disabilities in Bangladesh. They do not get access to school for education, and their families cannot afford their healthcare for a long time due to financial problems. This project will helpful for them to bring them to mainstream society.