Staff Reporter :
The World Bank approved a $165 million grant to help Bangladesh with basic services and to build disaster and social resilience for the Rohingya refugees living in the Teknaf and Ukhiya Upazilas of Cox’s Bazar District.
The fund will be given to Bangladesh under Emergency Multi-Sector Rohingya Crisis Response Project, WB officials in Dhaka said.
They said that, the project will help build and rehabilitate basic infrastructures, improve community resilience and help prevent gender-based violence.
The infrastructures to be set up under the projects are building of a water supply system comprising of community standpoints, rainwater harvesting, and piped water supply systems as well as improved sanitation facilities.
The project will also build and improve multipurpose cyclone shelters, roads, footpaths, drains, culverts, and bridges, and install solar streetlights inside the camps.
Last year, the World Bank (WB) announced that it would provide up to $480 million in grant-based support to Bangladesh to address the needs of Rohingya refugees. More than 700,000 Rohingya people have arrived in Bangladesh since 25 August 2017 to avoid ethnic and religious persecution by Myanmar’s security forces.
They took shelter in the Cox’s Bazar District in Bangladesh, making it the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis.
The huge influx has put enormous pressures on local infrastructure, services and public resources as well as the government of Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh has shown great generosity by sheltering nearly a million Rohingya people, despite its own development challenges,” said Dandan Chen, World Bank Acting Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.
He said the Emergency Multi-Sector Rohingya Crisis Response Project will contribute to improving basic public infrastructure and living conditions in the congested camp in Cox’s Bazar, an area that is prone to weather shocks.
Dandan Chen further said that the project would respond to natural disaster shocks and gender-based violence through strengthened government systems.
“More than half of the Rohingya population are women and girls and before coming to Bangladesh they were exposed to gender-based violence and now are at risk to survival,” said Swarna Kazi, WB Team Leader for the project.
“In this project, all facilities are designed as women friendly. Cyclone shelters and water and sanitation facilities will cater to the needs of women and children, while streetlights will ensure better safety. The project will also have gender friendly spaces and community services will be targeted at women and adolescent girls.”
