The World Bank (WB) has approved a $165-million grant to help Bangladesh provide basic services and build disaster and social resilience for the Rohingya.
The persecuted Muslim refugees have fled violence in Myanmar and sought shelter in Teknaf and Ukhia of Cox's Bazar.
The 'Emergency Multi-Sector Rohingya Crisis Response Project' would help Bangladesh cope with the world's fastest-growing exodus, said a WB release on Saturday.
The Rohingya outnumber the local community more than threefold in the two areas of Cox's Bazar.
The project would help build and rehabilitate basic infrastructure, improve community resilience and help prevent gender-based violence.
It includes building a water supply system comprising community standpoints, rainwater harvesting and piped water supply systems as well as improved sanitation.
The project would also build and improve multipurpose cyclone shelters, roads, footpaths, drains, culverts, bridges and install solar street lights inside camps.
"Bangladesh has shown great generosity by providing for a nearly million Rohingya people, despite its own development challenges," said World Bank Acting Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan Dandan Chen.
"The influx has placed enormous pressure on local infrastructure, services and public resources. This project will contribute to improving basic public infrastructure and living conditions in the congested camp."
"Moreover, through our existing and new projects, we are helping the local population," said the WB top official.
The Rohingya have been living in extremely congested conditions in Cox's Bazar, an area that is prone to weather shocks.
The project would respond to natural disaster shocks and gender-based violence through strengthened government systems.
The project service deliveries would focus on women and children, including interventions to prevent gender-based violence.
Water and sanitation facilities will target women, children and disabled individuals and street lights would contribute to better safety, the statement added.
"More than half of the Rohingya population are women and girls and before coming to Bangladesh they were exposed to gender-based violence and are now at risk," said the WB team leader for the project Swarna Kazi.
"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 and street lights will ensure better safety."
"The project will also have gender-friendly spaces and community services will be targeted at women and adolescent girls," the WB official added.
This is the third in a series of planned financings of approximately half a billion dollars announced by the World Bank in June 2018, the WB statement said.
Earlier, the WB has committed a $75 million grant to provide for the health and learning needs of the Rohingya.
The WB has been helping the host communities with about $200 million support in Cox's Bazar through ongoing projects: disaster preparedness including building and rehabilitating cyclone shelters; improving basic infrastructures and governance in union councils, municipalities and municipal areas; social protection; and, collaborative forest management and income generation opportunities for the host communities.
The WB was among the first development partners to support Bangladesh following its independence, the statement added.
Since then, the WB has committed more than $30 billion in grants and interest-free credit to Bangladesh.
In recent years, Bangladesh has been among the largest recipients of the WB's interest-free credit, it added.
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