South Korea completed a two-day visit to the Bangladeshi host community and Rohingya refugee-related programs on August 6 as part of an overall effort to boost humanitarian support.
The recent visit included senior advisers to the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and KOICA – the Korean International Cooperation Agency. On 6 August, the group toured IOM programs including WINGS, which teaches women vocational skills; the Women’s Committee; and the Women and Girls’ Safe Space. South Korea has been especially active in supporting Gender Based Violence and protection and livelihoods initiatives.
“The recent demonstrates the interest of Korea in supporting both the response to the refugee crisis; and their commitment to working with the host community. We welcome Korea’s growing interest in Bangladesh and its successes in projects such as the Digital Island initiative,” said Patrick Charignon, program manager of Transition and Recovery at IOM.
The Digital Island program is a unique pilot partnership between the Government of Bangladesh, IOM, Korea Telecom and KOICA. Launched in 2017, Digital Island saw installation of 14 miles of fibre optic cable linking Mohaskali schools to the mainland.
The project benefits the Bangladeshi host community and allows students to interact with teachers through eLearning. It also facilitates eCommerce and electronic medical consultations that link patients with doctors on the mainland. There are plans to expand the program and apply it in other remote areas of the country.