30 disaster shelters in Cox’s Bazar to protect 20,000 people amid emergency
The rehabilitation project employed around 4,000 host community members
Some 30 newly rehabilitated cyclone shelters in Cox's Bazar were recently handed over to the district administration from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
The shelters – in Ukhiya and Teknaf – will protect approximately 20,000 people during an emergency as Cox's Bazar district is regularly exposed to natural hazards such as tropical cyclones and associated storm surges, flash floods, and landslides.
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As part of the rehabilitation, the shelters were made more resilient to strong wind and floods, making them more accessible to persons with disabilities, adding water and sanitation facilities as well as solar panels for electricity.
The project also employed around 4,000 host community members in Cox's Bazar throughout the eight months of rehabilitation work. Community volunteers received cash from WFP for their contribution to the project, read a press release.
"We believe these rehabilitation works will have a durable positive impact on people's lives in this area," said Sheila Grudem, senior emergency coordinator for WFP in Cox's Bazar during the handover ceremony that took place in one of the rehabilitated shelters in Teknaf on Thursday.
"On most days, these buildings serve as schools or municipal offices, but when the next disaster strikes, they will each keep 800 to 1,000 people safe from flooding, landslides, rain, and wind," said Randy Ali, deputy mission director, USAID.
The centres were structurally rehabilitated as part of the second phase of WFP's disaster preparedness program, funded by the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA).
