World Bank Helps Bangladesh Provide Learning Opportunities to Rohingya

WASHINGTON, September 19, 2018— The World Bank today approved $25 million, including $4 million from Canada, to help Bangladesh provide education and support to heal the psychological wounds of Rohingya children and youth who have fled violence in Myanmar.

The second in a series to help Bangladesh deal with the crisis, the additional financing on grant terms expands an existing World Bank project to help about 350,000 Rohingya children and adolescents get basic education in learning centers. The existing Reaching Out of School Children Project II (ROSC II) project is also being extended for two years, which will enable the enrollment of poor children in the host communities in Cox’s Bazar, which has the lowest net education enrollment rate in the country. The project extension will provide training to more than 17,000 local adolescents and help them with job placement.

“Bangladesh has done a great service to the world by sheltering nearly a million Rohingya people, most of whom are women and children. Many of these children were exposed to psychological trauma, torture and violence. Without learning life skills and basic education, they can become a lost generation,” said Qimiao Fan,World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. “In addition to providing access to learning opportunities, the grant financing will support psycho-social activities to help Rohingya children recover from shocks and prevent exploitation. The grant will especially focus on girl children—who are often victims of gender-based violence—so they receive education in a safe environment.”

The financing, part of up to $480 million announced by the World Bank in June, will…

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