Piped water in Rohingya camp
2020 will be marked as the year that COVID-19 disrupted the world and our way of living. But, for around one million Rohingya in Bangladesh, it was another year of safe refuge.
Ambia Begum, a displaced Rohingya woman, living with her son in the Kutupalong Refugee camp, got access to safe water when a mini-piped water scheme was built in August 2020. She said, "You have given us water, quenched our thirst, but most importantly, you have given us hope and happiness."
In 2017, fleeing from violence in Myanmar, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people crossed the border into Bangladesh, in what is one of the fastest developing forced displacement crises in the world.
Almost all took shelter in the Cox's Bazar district in Bangladesh. The Rohingya account for about three-quarters of the combined total population in Teknaf and Ukhiya Upazila of Cox's Bazar.
The region was already densely populated and had a higher poverty rate. The inflow of Rohingya strained limited services and resources. The area was known for its immense natural beauty with vast protected forests where elephants roamed freely. But with the influx, the forest quickly turned barren, and, for a time, it seemed, there be would never be any flicker of green again.
In 2017, fleeing from violence in Myanmar, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people crossed the border into Bangladesh, in what is one of the fastest developing forced displacement crises in the world
One of the first projects financed with a grant from the World Bank's IDA18 regional sub-window for refugees and host communities is the Emergency Multi-Sector Rohingya Crisis Response Project. It helps the Bangladesh government scale up access to essential services such as energy, water, sanitation, and disaster-resilient infrastructures for the Rohingya and the surrounding host communities.
This year, even during the countrywide lockdown, the Government of Bangladesh, implementing partners, and the World Bank have closely collaborated to find solutions to move the project forward.
Creative solutions emerged: all partners remained connected using technology such as video conferences; a robust ICT remote construction monitoring system was put in place; adequate health and safety measures for project staff and contractors were ensured. And keeping in mind to never lose hope.
Community service programs have generated employment equivalent to over 150,000 person-workdays. Construction is underway for multipurpose disaster shelters, resilient roads and evacuation routes, and a better water and sanitation system.
The government of Bangladesh's unwavering commitment has helped provide improved water to over 22,000 people like Ambia Begum and ensure better sanitation for 1,500 people
By the time it ends in 2024, the project will improve water access to 365,000 people and better sanitation to 171,800 people. Further, it will build 250 km of climate-resilient roads, ten bridges, and 40 multipurpose disaster shelters, accessible to 81,000 people, including the host community, and install around 4,000 solar streetlights and 975 lightning protection systems. Overall, over 780,000 people including the host community and Rohingya, will have access to improved infrastructure as a result of the project.
It will also help government agencies to plan, coordinate, and respond to crises and emergencies. The project is also helping households support their livelihoods as well as services to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and support survivors. New initiatives on human capital coordinated with the UN will focus on gender issues and social inclusion.
In September 2020, we visited the Rohingya camps for the first time since the mid-March countrywide lockdown. One pleasant and surprising highlight was seeing the barren landscape, which had become lush, green, and bountiful. Concerted efforts in afforestation and conservation had brought back to life the remnants of the forest. Our team was reminded of the full circle we had come. In the words of Wangari Maathai, "When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope."
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