Abrar Hussain: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a grant of $100 million to Bangladesh yesterday, the first half of an assistance package to develop basic infrastructure and services for refugees fleeing from neighboring Myanmar.
Bangladesh is currently facing an uphill challenge in managing the refugee camps in the southern district of Cox’s Bazar, where over 700,000 Rohingyas fled to after a Myanmar military crackdown last August, said the United Nations and other aid agencies.
Takehiko Nakao, the president of the funding agency, said, “ADB’s project in this first phase will seek to provide basic infrastructure and services that will ease vulnerabilities and risk of hunger, disease, and disaster.” Bangladesh, which sought the aid of the ADB in May, will reportedly supplement the grant with $20 million to fund the first phase, which estimated to total $120 million over 2-1/2 years.
The project will refurbish camp roads to link essential food storage and distribution centers, hospitals, schools, and improve emergency access as well as improve disaster risk management as the area is prone to cyclones and monsoon storms by building shelters, landslide protection barriers and a network of storm water drains. -Source: Reuters
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