Rohingya crisis: WB to provide $480m aid

The World Bank today announced to provide $480 million in grant-based support to help Bangladesh address the needs of Rohingya refugees in areas such as health, education, water and sanitation, disaster risk management, and social protection.

Reflecting the increasingly protracted nature of the Rohingya crisis, the World Bank Board of Directors today approved a $50 million additional grant to an existing Health Sector Support Project in Bangladesh that is the first in a series that could total as much as $480 million, said a World Bank release.

The health-sector grant includes contributions based on an innovative partnership between the Government of Canada and the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's fund for the poorest countries.

It will help the Rohingyas receive maternal, neonatal, infant, child, and adolescent health and nutrition services, as well as reproductive health care and family planning support.

"Bangladesh has shown great leadership in this evolving humanitarian crisis by providing refuge for the Rohingya people. This grant allows the World Bank Group, working in collaboration with the Government of Canada, to support these efforts," World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said.

"We are deeply moved by the suffering of the Rohingya people and stand ready to help them until they can return home in a safe, voluntary, and dignified manner. At the same time, we are also continuing to support the Bangladeshi people and the host communities, who have shown great generosity by welcoming these refugees," Jim Yong Kim added.

Seasonal rains, causing floods and landslides, will have important health impacts including injuries, exacerbation of water-borne diseases, and reduced access to health services. It is estimated that 200,000 people are at risk of landslides and floods during the monsoon season.

"Bangladesh has sheltered the Rohingya people fleeing from violence in Myanmar because it is the right thing to do for fellow human beings. But their needs are enormous and the world needs to step up support," said Bangladesh Finance Minister AMA Muhith.

The World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, along with the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, will visit Bangladesh on July 1-2 to assess the severity of the crisis and discuss what more can be done. They will visit the Rohingya settlements in Cox's Bazar and meet with the prime minister, finance minister, other senior government officials, and representatives of civil society and other partners.

Since August last year, more than 700,000 Rohingya have taken shelter from violence in Myanmar in the Cox's Bazar District in Bangladesh, making it the world's largest and fastest growing refugee camp, and putting pressure on the environment, existing infrastructure, and social services that were already constrained.