In an effort to tackle the mounting challenges faced by Rohingyas and their host communities in Bangladesh, the government has undertaken a project worth Tk 652.55 crore to improve water supply, sanitation, and waste management systems in Cox's Bazar and Noakhali.
The project, titled "Integrated Services and Livelihood Development of Displaced Populations and Local Communities", will focus on 12 upazilas and be implemented between July 2025 and June 2028.
It is designed to improve infrastructure and services for both the displaced Rohingya population and host communities.
The funding will come from loans and grants, including Tk 112.78 crore from the government of Bangladesh and Tk 539.77 crore from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
On June 24, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $58.6 million grant from the Asian Development Fund (ADF) and a $28.1 million concessional loan to provide basic infrastructure and critical services for displaced people from Myanmar and host communities in Bangladesh.
The project was undertaken amid a dwindling international funding crisis for Rohingyas and host communities in Bangladesh.
On July 11, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said essential services for the Rohingya population are at risk of collapsing due to an acute global funding crisis, noting that 150,000 Rohingyas entered Bangladesh over the last 18 months.
As such, UNHCR Spokesperson Babar Baloch said the critical needs of both newly-arrived refugees and those already present will be unmet.
According to the ADB, the project will enhance and expand access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, roads and bridges, safety and security, drainage systems, food security, and disaster resilience.
It said different approaches would be adopted to address the specific needs of both Rohingyas and host communities.
Solar-powered street lights will be installed or replaced in the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar, while the existing fecal sludge management system in Bhasan Char will be revamped while optimising biogas production for cooking.
In both Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char, drainage canals will be renovated using nature-based solutions, and food distribution centres will be constructed with a focus on improving access for women, children and people with disabilities.
In Hatiya, the project will construct cyclone shelters that double as schools and in Cox's Bazar, mini piped water supply systems will be installed across nine upazilas.
A surface water treatment plant will also be constructed in Palongkhali Union, Ukhia, under the project, complete with a transmission pipeline to deliver treated water to the water-scarce area of Teknaf.
Over 1 million displaced people from Myanmar, approximately 75% of whom are women and children, are currently residing in 33 refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.
More than 36,000 Rohingyas had been voluntarily relocated to Bhasan Char in Noakhali district.
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