Inditex and UNHCR strengthen partnership to improve safety and climate resilience in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh

• Inditex will allocate €13 million over the next three years to strengthen refugee communities in Cox's Bazar. The agreement includes 7.5 million garments.

• Since 2020, both organizations have worked together to provide nearly 9 million items of clothing, footwear and home goods to 2.7 million refugees globally.

MADRID - Inditex and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, announced today that they have renewed their strategic partnership to continue supporting refugees and forcibly displaced people across different regions of the world.

The new agreement, signed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, and Inditex CEO, Óscar García Maceiras, extends a collaboration that began in 2020 and consolidates a long-term partnership between both organizations.

Under this agreement, Inditex will allocate €13 million between 2026 and 2028 to improve the living conditions of close to 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

The project is implemented under an Integrated Settlement Planning approach, focused on enhancing community safety, supporting relocation to lower-risk areas, and improving essential infrastructure. It also incorporates specific climate adaptation measures to mitigate the impact of increasingly frequent extreme weather events in one of the world's most vulnerable humanitarian contexts.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, said: "This partnership demonstrates the vital role the private sector can play in standing with refugees and the communities that host them. These resources will help strengthen safety and climate resilience for Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, while helping families meet urgent needs and lay the foundations for a more hopeful future."

Inditex CEO Óscar García Maceiras emphasized the importance of supporting refugees as part of the company's community investment strategy: "For more than two decades, we have worked continuously with leading social organizations on international cooperation and humanitarian aid projects supporting refugees and forcibly displaced people across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. Maintaining this commitment and continuing to contribute to this cause is a source of inspiration for everyone at Inditex."

Cox's Bazar is the world's largest refugee settlement and among the most exposed to climate risks. Refugee communities face threats such as landslides, flooding, heatwaves and lightning storms, exacerbated by the high density of the settlements.

In this context, the agreement aims to improve current conditions and advance more sustainable and resilient solutions that reduce vulnerability.

In addition to the Bangladesh project, the agreement expands collaboration to the distribution of basic relief items in other humanitarian operations. Inditex will donate 7.5 million items of clothing and footwear over the next three years, to be distributed to refugees in countries such as Uganda and Chad. The Group will also allocate €2 million to cover the logistics costs associated with these distributions.

The agreement runs from June 2026 through 2028.

The collaboration between Inditex and UNHCR goes beyond financial support and in-kind donations. Both organizations work together to improve safety and living conditions in refugee settlements, promote climate adaptation measures, and create opportunities for refugee inclusion in labour markets.

In addition, the partnership leverages private sector knowledge and expertise through pro bono initiatives aimed at improving efficiency, sustainability and the design of humanitarian solutions.

Combining resources, expertise, innovation and a shared commitment to refugees, this partnership highlights how businesses and UNHCR work together to improve lives and create lasting changes in forcibly displaced communities.

Inditex's contributions are funded from, among other sources, proceeds generated from its paper bag and packaging initiative, launched in 2021 to encourage reusable alternatives. This effort complements other environmental projects promoted by the company in collaboration with various organizations.

About Inditex

Inditex is one of the world's largest fashion retailers with brands as Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home and Lefties-, operating in more than 200 markets through its online platform and stores. Its integrated business model is focused on meeting customer demands through a quality fashion proposition
and a unique customer experience. The Group is firmly committed to sustainability, with the ambitious goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2040.

About UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, leads international action to protect people forced to flee because of conflict and persecution. We deliver life-saving assistance like shelter, water and other basic necessities; help safeguard fundamental human rights; and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place to call home where they can build a better future.

About ACNUR Comité español

ACNUR Comité español is a non-governmental organization, created in 1993, declared of Public Utility, proud to have more than 500,000 regular members and donors. ACNUR Comité español raises funds to meet the needs of the most vulnerable refugees and displaced people, supporting UNHCR's humanitarian aid programs around the world.

For more information

• Inditex - Communications and Corporate Affairs: [email protected]
• ACNUR Comité español - Antonio Sánchez: [email protected]