The Government of Bangladesh, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) launched a joint study entitled, “Impact Assessment of the Rohingya Influx in Cox’s Bazar and Banderban Districts” on 7 May 2018 in collaboration with UNHABITAT, ILO, UNOPS and the Policy Research Institute (PRI) at the Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner’s Office.
The Assessment aims to evaluate the economic, employment and livelihoods impact on the host community due to the Rohingya influx and also the capacity needed to meet the increased public service demands. It will also asses the challenges in delivering Social Safety Net programmes. This assessment will also help the government and other development agencies including UN agencies to design longer-term development programmes in Cox’s Bazar and Banderban Districts.
Addressing the launching event, Sudipto Mukerjee, Country Director, UNDP Bangladesh remarked that; “All of Cox’s Bazar and Banderban districts are impacted by the Rohingya Crisis and will need support to ensure timely and effective steps for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation,”
Attending the event as the chief guest, Mohammed Kamal Hosain, Deputy Commissioner, Cox’s Bazar said, “The host community are very much affected by the influx so this will help to assess what type of impact, environmentally and economically, to help address the issues facing the host community (and) the government will also benefit from the outcome of this assessment.”
The objectives, methodology and outcomes of the Impact Assessment were presented. Dr. M. Abdur Razzaque, PRI Research Director.
Among others, Shamshur Rahman, National Economic Advisor, UNDP also spoke at the event, which was attended by representatives from the government, UN Agencies and other national and international organizations working in Cox’s Bazar
