World Bank approves 165 mln USD to help Rohingyas in Bangladesh

DHAKA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The World bank (WB) approved a 165-million-U.S. dollar grant to provide basic services for Bangladesh and build disaster and social resilience for the Rohingyas who fled violence from Myanmar and took shelter in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar.

The "Emergency Multi-Sector Rohingya Crisis Response Project" will help Bangladesh cope with the displaced Rohingya people.

According to the statement, the project will help build and rehabilitate basic infrastructure, improve community resilience and help prevent gender-based violence.

This includes building a water supply system comprising of community standpoints, rainwater harvesting, and piped water supply systems as well as improve sanitation facilities, it said.

It added the project will also build and improve multi-purpose cyclone shelters, roads, footpaths, drains, culverts and bridges and install solar-powered street lights inside the camps.

"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," said Chen Dandan, the WB's acting country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, adding that it would also help local people.

The displaced Rohingyas are living in extremely congested conditions in Cox Bazar, some 292 km southeast of capital Dhaka, an area that is prone to weather shocks.

The project service deliveries will also focus on women and children. "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," said Swarna Kazi, the 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 and the 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."

This is the third in a series of planned financings of approximately half a billion U.S. dollars announced by the WB in June 2018 after a 75-million-U.S. dollar grant for Rohingyas before.