UNHCR new rep to work close with Bangladesh

Staff Reporter :

Newly appointed representative for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Ivo Freijsen is keen to working closely with the national and international partners to support Bangladesh in addressing Rohingya crisis.

He came up with the statement while presenting his credentials to the Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Thursday.

Both sides talked about the field situation of the Rohingyas and the reduction of the funds crucial for supporting the Rohingyas. They also talked about how to provide protection and find out a sustainable and dignified resolution of the Rohingya crisis through repatriation to their homeland in Myanmar, Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“It is both an honour and a privilege to represent UNHCR in Bangladesh-a country that has so generously hosted people forced to flee for many years. I look forward to working closely with national and international partners to support Bangladesh in its ongoing response to the Rohingya refugee crisis,” Freijsen said.

Before joining his new office in Bangladesh, Ivo Freijsen, a national of the Netherlands, represented UNHCR in Lebanon (2023-2025) and prior to that he served in the Islamic Republic of Iran (2018-2022).

Over the years, Ivo held positions in various countries including Egypt, Switzerland, Sudan, and Iraq. He worked extensively on refugee protection, humanitarian affairs and emergency response.
Since the beginning of the Rohingya influx, the UNHCR has been working closely with Rohingyas and host communities to provide protection, shelter and essential services to the refugees.