The government has undertaken a Tk652.55 crore project to address the growing challenges facing Rohingyas and their host communities for improving water supply, sanitation, and waste management systems in Cox’s Bazar and Noakhali districts.
The funding includes Tk112.78 crore from the government of Bangladesh and Tk539.77 crore from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), comprising loans and grants.
The project titled ‘Integrated Services and Livelihood Development of Displaced Populations and Local Communities’ will be implemented between July 2025 and June 2028, focusing on 12 upazilas of the two districts.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 24 June 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.
UNHCR said essential services for the whole Rohingya population are at risk of collapsing due to acute global funding crisis, noting that 150,000 Rohingyas entered Bangladesh over the last 18 months.
With the acute global funding crisis, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch said the critical needs of both newly-arrived refugees and those already present will be unmet.
The Integrated Services and Livelihood for Displaced People from Myanmar and Host Communities Improvement Project will enhance and expand access to water, sanitation, and hygiene; roads and bridges; safety and security; drainage systems; food security; and disaster resilience, according to the ADB.
It said a differentiated approach will be applied to address the specific needs of both Rohingyas and host communities in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char areas.
The project will also enhance connectivity and access to essential services while strengthening government capacity to manage and implement projects.
In the Rohingya camps, the project will install or replace solar-powered streetlights in Cox’s Bazar and rehabilitate the existing fecal sludge management system in Bhasan Char, while optimising biogas production for cooking.
