Rohingya crisis: USAID launches $70m initiative to aid affected communities  

Highlights

• The five-year programme aims to improve overall well-being and resilience of host communities 
• Key focus areas include strengthening inclusive market systems, enhancing resilience, empowering women and promoting social inclusion 
• The initiative aims to enhance collaboration and resource-sharing among government bodies, civil society, private sector, and community stakeholders

USAID on Monday (20 January) launched a $70.2 million initiative to enhance the well-being and resilience of communities in Cox's Bazar and the three Chattogram Hill Tracts districts, addressing critical challenges in education, skills training, food security, poverty and agricultural productivity.  

Running from 2024 to 2029, the five-year programme aims to improve the overall well-being and resilience of communities hosting or affected by the Rohingya refugee crisis.  

"We really don't talk about the hilly areas where climate change is also having a devastating impact," said Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan at the national-level launch held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dhaka.  

"The fact remains that resource-rich areas like Cox's Bazar and the hilly districts of Bangladesh should not be seen as areas of commons but as areas for protection," added Rizwana, also an environmental activist.  

Key focus areas include strengthening inclusive market systems, enhancing resilience, empowering women, promoting social inclusion, improving access to income, water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) services and supporting climate adaptation.  

The initiative, undertaken by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will also unite host and impacted communities with local authorities to protect over 35,000 hectares of land and conserve the area's precious natural resources.  

Since the 2017 influx of Rohingya refugees, conditions in the targeted districts have deteriorated significantly. Local economies have been strained, leading to loss of livelihoods, declining wages, food insecurity and disrupted market systems.  

The increased population has also heightened pressure on already scarce resources, creating urgent needs for clean drinking water and sanitation. Environmental degradation, including deforestation, has further undermined biodiversity and ecosystem services.  

These districts are also highly vulnerable to natural disasters, including fires, flash floods, landslides, extreme heat and droughts. Cox's Bazar, in particular, is facing rising sea levels, salinization and cyclones.  

The USAID Host and Impacted Community Resilience Activity will adopt a multi-sectoral approach to address these complex challenges. By optimising local capacities, the initiative aims to enhance collaboration and resource-sharing among government bodies, civil society, the private sector and community stakeholders.  

"Developing sustainable solutions requires us to work together and leverage local expertise to lead the way," said Charge d'affaires Tracey Ann Jacobson at the US Embassy in Dhaka.  

"This is why we are bringing together partners from government, business, civil society and, most importantly, community members, and equipping them with the skills and resources they need to build brighter and more prosperous futures for themselves," she added.  

This new programme builds on US government support for host communities in Bangladesh, which includes over $2.5 billion in regional Rohingya response assistance since August 2017, with more than $2.1 billion directed toward refugees and host communities in Bangladesh.  

It is the largest localisation initiative supported by USAID in Bangladesh. The consortium, led by Friends In Village Development Bangladesh (FIVDB), includes key technical partners such as DevWorks International, Helen Keller International, Christian Aid, the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), and Nature Conservation Management, with additional support from nine anticipated local partners in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.