It has adopted a new programme in support of the people who were forced to flee Myanmar in August last year when violence broke out after decades of ethnic tensions.

The initiative will support the identification and registration of Rohingya refugees in the host country, as well as ensuring better protection of particularly vulnerable individuals, the EU said.

The EU has so far mobilised more than €51m in support for the Rohingya crisis. The €5m programme comes  in addition to this.

At a United Nations conference in October, donor countries pledged more than $344m in aid to the refugees and host communities in Bangladesh.

UK international development secretary Penny Mordaunt has said the global funding for the crisis will only meet “urgent needs” until February 2018 and called for more aid to go to the Rohingya people.

She also announced an extra £12m in aid, bringing total UK support to £50m since August 2017.