The World Bank has approved a grant of US $165 million to help Bangladesh provide basic services and utilities for the Rohingyas currently residing in Teknaf and Ukhiya upazilas of Cox's Bazar.
The approval was given at a board meeting held in Washington on Friday.
This is the third in a series of planned finances of approximately half a billion dollars, announced by the World Bank in June 2018.
Earlier, the World Bank committed a US $75 million grant to provide for the health and education care of nearly one million Rohingyas who fled from the violence of the Myanmar Army and sought refuge in Bangladesh in August of 2017.
The Emergency Multi-Sector Rohingya Crisis Response Project will help Bangladesh cope with the world's fastest growing exodus, where the Rohingya outnumber the local community more than threefold in Teknaf and Ukhiya upazilas, the World Bank said on Saturday.
The project will help build 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 improved sanitation facilities.
The project will also build and improve multipurpose cyclone shelters, roads, footpaths, drains, culverts, bridges, and install solar street lights inside the camps.
"Bangladesh has shown great generosity by sheltering and providing for a nearly a million Rohingya people, despite its own development challenges," said Dandan Chen, World Bank acting country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.
"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. Moreover, we are also helping the local population through our existing and new projects."
The Rohingyas are living in extremely congested conditions in Cox Bazar, an area that is prone to volatile weather.
The project service deliveries will focus on women and children, including interventions to prevent gender-based violence; the water and sanitation facilities will specifically target women, children and disabled individuals.
"More than half of the Rohingya population are women and girls," Swarna Kazi, the team leader of the project, said. "Before coming to Bangladesh, they were exposed to gender-based violence, which makes them most vulnerable to gender-based disparities.
"Our project has been designed to be women-friendly," she added. "Cyclone shelters and water and sanitation facilities will cater to the needs of women and children, while the street lights will ensure better safety. It will also have gender-friendly spaces, while there will be community services for women and adolescent girls."
The World Bank is helping the host communities with about US $200 million support in Cox's Bazar through ongoing projects: preparing against natural disaster, including building and rehabilitating cyclone shelters; improving basic infrastructures and governance in Union Parishads and municipalities; ensuring social protection; and, generating income opportunities for the host communities.
