Rohingya crisis

Muhith to seek WB grant

Bangladesh will seek World Bank (WB) assistance to ensure shelter, food and healthcare for the Rohingya refugees who have entered Bangladesh, according to sources in the finance ministry. Finance minister AMA Muhith left for the USA yesterday to attend WB meetings in Washington, D.C. During the visit, the minister will join a High-level Special Session on Tobacco Taxation: Win-Win for Public Health and Domestic Resources Mobilisation; the Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Meeting focused on the theme: Advancing Jobs and Resilience through Innovation; a CFMM reception and celebration of Canada’s 150th Anniversary;

and a meet on the Implementation of the SDGs: Global Goals, Local Solutions and Mobilizing Private Sector for Development—the Bangladesh PPP Experience.

According to sources, Muhith will seek grants from the global lender for the Rohingyas. But he would not take any loan to take care of the refugees.

The sources also said that the finance minister would urge the WB to increase its assistance to Bangladesh by raising the existing ceiling as the country needs huge investments, particularly in the infrastructure sector.

Bangladesh would seek a minimum of USD 5 billion assistance from the WB’s IDA loan for the next three years, while the WB has assured USD 4.5 billion at the most. It also wrote to Bangladesh to take scale-up loan to make up the demand gap, the sources said.

Muhith will also seek a guarantee for public-private partnership (PPP) projects to ensure private sector involvement in different infrastructure projects.

Recently, the WB said it was ready to support Bangladesh in addressing the growing Rohingya crisis if the government sought its assistance.

 “We’re monitoring the situation very closely with UN agencies and other development partners. The WB stands ready to support the Government of Bangladesh in addressing the growing refugee (Rohingya) crisis, if it seeks WB assistance,” said the WB country director in Bangladesh, Qimiao Fan, on Wednesday.

He made WB’s stand on the Rohingya issue clear while replying to a question during the release of the Bangladesh Development Update at its office.

Qimiao Fan said an official request would have to come through the official channel—the Economic Relations Division (ERD) under the finance ministry. Apart from increased budgetary spending in the short term, the WB country director said there could be quite significant pressure on service delivery in hosting communities in terms of access to health, water, education and sanitation due to the Rohingya crisis.

“I think it’s difficult at this stage to tell exactly what would be the impact on the economy. The situation is evolving rapidly. It’s clear that, in addition to the immediate humanitarian assistance, the government will need to address some long-term support that will be needed to help the refugees and also the hosting communities from the impact,” he added.

Qimiao Fan said there is a new window called IDA 18, a World Bank’s refugee sub-window for the next three years. Funds from it is intended to help countries to deal with refugee crises and also help the hosting communities relieve some pressures resulting from that crisis.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, humanitarian organisations helping Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh said that they need USD 434 million over the next six months to help up to 1.2 million people, most of them children, who need life-saving assistance.

There are an estimated 809,000 Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh after they fled violence and persecution in Myanmar. More than half a million arrived since August 25 to join the 300,000 Rohingya refugees already staying here.

“The Rohingya population in Cox’s Bazar is highly vulnerable, with many having experienced severe trauma and now living in extremely difficult conditions,” Robert Watkins, UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh, said in a release, referring to the district where most Rohingyas are living.

Bangladesh and humanitarian organisations are struggling to help the 509,000 Rohingyas who have arrived since August 25, when attacks by Rohingya militants triggered a Myanmar military offensive that the United Nations has branded as ethnic cleansing.

Rohingya crisis

Muhith to seek WB grant

Bangladesh will seek World Bank (WB) assistance to ensure shelter, food and healthcare for the Rohingya refugees who have entered Bangladesh, according to sources in the finance ministry. Finance minister AMA Muhith left for the USA yesterday to attend WB meetings in Washington, D.C. During the visit, the minister will join a High-level Special Session on Tobacco Taxation: Win-Win for Public Health and Domestic Resources Mobilisation; the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting focused on the theme: Advancing Jobs and Resilience through Innovation; a CFMM reception and celebration of Canadas 150th Anniversary; and a meet on the Implementation of the SDGs: Global Goals, Local Solutions and Mobilizing Private Sector for Developmentthe Bangladesh PPP Experience. According to sources, Muhith will seek grants from the global lender for the Rohingyas. But he would not take any loan to take care of the refugees. The sources also said that the finance minister would urge the WB to increase its assistance to Bangladesh by raising the existing ceiling as the country needs huge investments, particularly in the infrastructure sector. Bangladesh would seek a minimum of USD 5 billion assistance from the WBs IDA loan for the next three years, while the WB has assured USD 4.5 billion at the most. It also wrote to Bangladesh to take scale-up loan to make up the demand gap, the sources said. Muhith will also seek a guarantee for public-private partnership (PPP) projects to ensure private sector involvement in different infrastructure projects. Recently, the WB said it was ready to support Bangladesh in addressing the growing Rohingya crisis if the government sought its assistance. Were monitoring the situation very closely with UN agencies and other development partners. The WB stands ready to support the Government of Bangladesh in addressing the growing refugee (Rohingya) crisis, if it seeks WB assistance, said the WB country director in Bangladesh, Qimiao Fan, on Wednesday. He made WBs stand on the Rohingya issue clear while replying to a question during the release of the Bangladesh Development Update at its office. Qimiao Fan said an official request would have to come through the official channelthe Economic Relations Division (ERD) under the finance ministry. Apart from increased budgetary spending in the short term, the WB country director said there could be quite significant pressure on service delivery in hosting communities in terms of access to health, water, education and sanitation due to the Rohingya crisis. I think its difficult at this stage to tell exactly what would be the impact on the economy. The situation is evolving rapidly. Its clear that, in addition to the immediate humanitarian assistance, the government will need to address some long-term support that will be needed to help the refugees and also the hosting communities from the impact, he added. Qimiao Fan said there is a new window called IDA 18, a World Banks refugee sub-window for the next three years. Funds from it is intended to help countries to deal with refugee crises and also help the hosting communities relieve some pressures resulting from that crisis. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, humanitarian organisations helping Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh said that they need USD 434 million over the next six months to help up to 1.2 million people, most of them children, who need life-saving assistance. There are an estimated 809,000 Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh after they fled violence and persecution in Myanmar. More than half a million arrived since August 25 to join the 300,000 Rohingya refugees already staying here. The Rohingya population in Coxs Bazar is highly vulnerable, with many having experienced severe trauma and now living in extremely difficult conditions, Robert Watkins, UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh, said in a release, referring to the district where most Rohingyas are living. Bangladesh and humanitarian organisations are struggling to help the 509,000 Rohingyas who have arrived since August 25, when attacks by Rohingya militants triggered a Myanmar military offensive that the United Nations has branded as ethnic cleansing.