The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday approved US$86.7 million in new financing to improve basic infrastructure and essential services for displaced people from Myanmar (DPFM) and host communities in Bangladesh.
The support includes a $58.6 million grant and a $28.1 million concessional loan from the Asian Development Fund (ADF) and, ADB said in a statement.
The ADF provides grants to ADB's poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries.
The financing will support the "Integrated Services and Livelihood for Displaced People from Myanmar and Host Communities Improvement Project," which aims to strengthen access to water, sanitation, roads, food security, and disaster resilience in both Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char.
A tailored approach will be applied to address the specific needs of both displaced and host populations, with an added focus on enhancing government capacity to implement such projects.
"We are pleased to support Bangladesh in strengthening the protection and resilience of displaced people from Myanmar, while promoting social cohesion between those living in the camps and host communities," said ADB Country Director for Bangladesh Hoe Yun Jeong.
He noted that this new funding builds on ADB's earlier assistance -- amounting to $171.4 million in grants and loans -- under the Emergency Assistance Project and its additional financing since 2018.
In the Rohingya camps, the project will install or replace solar-powered streetlights in Cox's Bazar and rehabilitate the fecal sludge management system in Bhasan Char, with improvements to biogas production for cooking.
In both areas, drainage canals will be restored using nature-based solutions, and food distribution centres will be built to ensure better accessibility for women, children, and persons with disabilities.
For host communities, the project includes the construction of cyclone shelters that will also serve as schools in Hatia, and the implementation of mini piped water supply systems in nine upazilas of Cox's Bazar.
A surface water treatment plant will be established in Palongkhali union, Ukhia, along with a transmission pipeline to supply treated water to water-scarce Teknaf.
Additionally, road infrastructure in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char will be upgraded to improve mobility and connectivity.
Currently, more than one million displaced people from Myanmar -- around 75% of whom are women and children -- live in 33 camps in Cox's Bazar.
Over 0.036 million (36,000) people have been relocated to Bhasan Char in Noakhali district.
ADB, founded in 1966 and owned by 69 members (50 from the Asia-Pacific), supports inclusive and sustainable development across the region through innovative financing and strategic partnerships.
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