The World Bank has approved $700 million in funding for two projects aimed at improving basic services and strengthening disaster preparedness for both Rohingya refugees and the communities hosting them in Bangladesh.

Two equally funded projects, the Inclusive Services and Opportunities for Host Community and Displaced Rohingya Population Project and the Host and Rohingya Enhancement of Lives Project, will each receive $350 million.

The multinational lender’s board approved the amount on Wednesday morning.

 “We greatly appreciate the Government of Bangladesh’s generosity in supporting nearly one million Rohingya people,” said Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, “ We also recognize the enormous pressure placed on the host communities”

Nearly one million Rohingya have fled violence in Myanmar to Bangladesh since 2017, making it one of the largest forced displacement crises in the world.

Seck mentioned that with the crisis entering its seventh year, “long-term planning and sustainable solutions have become critical, while also addressing short-term, urgent needs.”

The Inclusive Services and Opportunities project will expand upon existing programs by providing livelihood support and essential services, including healthcare, nutrition, family planning, and gender-based violence prevention and response, to at least 980,000 Rohingya refugees and their host communities.

With a focus on human capital development, the project aims to provide educational opportunities for 300,000 Rohingya children under 12.

The Inclusive Services and Opportunities for Host Communities and Displaced Rohingya Population (ISO) Project will build on active investments in livelihoods and essential health, nutrition, family planning, gender-based violence response and prevention services for at least 980,000 people in the Rohingya and host communities.

The project will prioritize investment in human capital development, with the aim to support the education of 300,000 Rohingya children under the age of 12.

S. Amer Ahmed, World Bank Task Team Leader for the ISO Project, emphasized that the ongoing crisis in Bangladesh requires addressing the needs of both the host community and the Rohingya population.

“The ISO Project aims to help vulnerable individuals in both communities build and utilize their human capital by providing temporary employment, education, healthcare, child protection, and support services for family planning and gender-based violence,” he said..

The Host and Rohingya Enhancement of Lives Project (HELP) will improve access to basic services and enhance the resilience of at least 645,000 people in the Rohingya and host communities.

Project activities will encompass urgently needed investments in water, sanitation, and hygiene; climate resilient roads; renewable energy; and multi-purpose disaster shelters – underlying foundations critical to supporting productive livelihoods.

“Disaster and climate resilience are ever more critical as the crisis becomes protracted. The Rohingya people continue to live in extremely congested settlements and have minimal access to basic services,” said Swarna Kazi, World Bank Task Team Leader for HELP, “The host communities are also deeply impacted, with continued additional pressure on limited resources.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the Bangladesh government approved two separate projects worth $723 million for the persecuted Rohingya refugees. The country’s Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the project.