World Bank approves $700 million for Rohingya, host community in Bangladesh 

The World Bank's board has approved two projects involving $700 million to provide basic services and build disaster and social resilience for both the host communities and the displaced Rohingya population in Bangladesh. 
 

"Long-term planning and sustainable solutions have become critical, while also addressing short-term, urgent needs," said Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, in a press release.  

The Inclusive Services and Opportunities for Host Community and Displaced Rohingya Population (ISO) Project and the Host and Rohingya Enhancement of Lives Project (HELP) will together provide support to the Bangladeshi host communities and the Rohingya people. The interventions supporting the Rohingya population will be financed by the World Bank as grants under the IDA20 Window for Host Communities and Refugees.

The ISO Project will build on active investments in livelihoods and essential health, nutrition, family planning, gender-based violence response and prevention services for at least 980,000 people in the Rohingya and host communities. The project will prioritise investment in human capital development, with the aim to support the education of 300,000 Rohingya children under the age of 12.

"The ISO Project will support vulnerable households in both communities to invest, protect, and use their human capital," said S Amer Ahmed, World Bank task team leader for the ISO Project.

The HELP Project will improve access to basic services and enhance the resilience of at least 645,000 people in the Rohingya and host communities. Project activities will encompass urgently needed investments in water, sanitation, and hygiene; climate resilient roads; renewable energy; and multi-purpose disaster shelters.

"Disaster and climate resilience are ever more critical as the crisis became protracted," said Swarna Kazi, World Bank Task Team Leader for HELP. 

The two projects follow the World Bank's support of a $590 million grant since the onset of the crisis and are underpinned by the lessons learned through these earlier interventions. 

The global lender has committed more than $40 billion in grants and interest-free credits to Bangladesh since its independence.