EMERGENCY MULTI-SECTOR ROHINGYA CRISIS RESPONSE PROJECT IMPROVING SERVICES AND BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ROHINGYAS APPROVAL DATE: END DATE: TOTAL COMMITMENT: IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: BASIC INFORMATION December 30 June 30 $210 million Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief 2013 2020 (MoDMR); Local Government Engineering Department (LGED); Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) OVERVIEW Since August 25, 2017, violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar, has driven more than 745,000 people from the Rohingya community cross the border into the Cox’s Bazar district in Bangladesh in what became the largest refugee influx in modern times. The Rohingya are living in extremely congested conditions in makeshift settlements. The influx has put pressure on existing infrastructure and strained the social service delivery systems. The settlement areas lack basic infrastructure and services and are prone to natural disasters, specially cyclones, floods, and landslides. In response to the evolving nature of the crisis, the World Bank has taken a comprehensive, phased and multi-sectoral approach to address needs of the Displaced Rohingya Population (DRP) and the host communities. 118 CHALLENGE TOWARDS THE The vast majority of Rohingya live in 34 extremely congested camps which has added an unprecedented pressure on the areas’ FUTURE natural resources and led to rapid deforestation and slope instability, further increasing vulnerability of the DRP to monsoon The project was approved at the rains, flooding, landslides and disasters. The relocation of households at-risk is underway, nevertheless, there is a lack of World Bank board on March 07, sufficient and suitable land to accommodate them. Lack of disaster resilient infrastructural facilities and poor road connectivity 2019 and implementation has puts a serious threat to the DRP. Besides, thousands of poorly positioned and low-quality water and sanitation interventions started. constructed during the initial phase of the influx pose challenges. Salinity is a further risk to water quality; as are the threats of water-borne diseases which are exacerbated by low awareness among the DRP of good WASH practices. 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. At least 80 percent of the DRP are dependent on life-saving external assistance which makes them socially vulnerable. Given the scale and complex nature of the crisis, the capacity building of the implementing agencies regarding emergency response is also critical. APPROACH The project aims to strengthen government systems to improve access to basic services and build disaster and social resilience of the DRP. As part of improving access to basic services, the project will ensure increased supply of safe drinking water, improved sanitation facilities and hygiene promotion as well as climate resilient infrastructure for the DRP at-risk. The project will also ensure increased access to multipurpose disaster shelters, resilient roads and evacuation routes resulting in reduced climate vulnerability and multi-hazard risks. Also, the project will strengthen community resilience through increased access and participation in gender sensitive community services, youth-focused workfare activities that will mitigate the risk of engagement in negative coping behavior, tree plantation and gender-based violence prevention and response. For implementation of its components, the project will connect multi-sectoral agencies and strengthen their institutional systems by building their capacity to coordinate and communicate activities. EXPECTED RESULTS 30 climate resilient multipurpose disaster shelters inside the camps and 170,000 people with access 56,700 people with access 23 outside the camps to be constructed to provide shelter to 55,500 people to improved water sources to improved sanitation 100,000 households 205 km climate resilient 10 climate 375 lightning 1500 solar street participating in community access and evacuation roads and resilient and bridges protection systems lights installed workfare and services 25 km internal roads improved constructed installed THE WORLD BANK IN BANGLADESH | 119