The World Bank has approved funding for two initiatives totaling $700 million aimed at improving basic services and strengthening disaster and social resilience for both the host communities and displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh.

Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, emphasized the importance of balancing long-term strategies with immediate needs in the announcement. The two projects, named the Inclusive Services and Opportunities for Host Community and Displaced Rohingya Population (ISO) Project and the Host and Rohingya Enhancement of Lives Project (HELP), are designed to support both the local Bangladeshi communities and the Rohingya refugees. Financing for these projects comes in the form of grants from the World Bank’s IDA20 Window for Host Communities and Refugees.

The ISO Project focuses on expanding current investments in various sectors, including livelihoods, health, nutrition, family planning, and gender-based violence prevention. It aims to benefit at least 980,000 people within the Rohingya and host communities, with a special emphasis on educating 300,000 Rohingya children under the age of 12. S Amer Ahmed, the World Bank's task team leader for the ISO Project, stated that the project will help vulnerable households enhance and utilize their human capital.

The HELP Project is set to improve basic services and build resilience for at least 645,000 people from both communities. The project will invest in essential areas such as water, sanitation, hygiene, climate-resilient infrastructure, renewable energy, and multi-purpose disaster shelters. Swarna Kazi, the World Bank Task Team Leader for HELP, highlighted the growing need for disaster and climate resilience as the crisis continues.

These new projects build on the World Bank’s previous support, which included a $590 million grant at the start of the crisis. Over the years, the World Bank has provided more than $40 billion in grants and interest-free credits to Bangladesh since its independence.

BOB Post