EU, BRAC Launch Project to Aid Rohingya, Host Communities

Official launch of project to aid Rohingya, host communities held at Camp 27

More than 1.2 million people are set to benefit from healthcare, education, and livelihood opportunities under a new initiative jointly launched by the European Union and BRAC in Cox’s Bazar.

The Humanitarian–Development Coexistence (HDC) Nexus Project aims to provide integrated assistance to both Rohingya refugees and local host communities through coordinated activities across six key areas: shelter, camp coordination and management, health and nutrition, mental health, education, livelihoods and skills development, and water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Once fully operational, the project will directly support over 125,000 Rohingya refugees and around 2,500 members of host communities, with indirect benefits reaching more than 1.2 million people. The initiative prioritises sustainability, accountability, and community empowerment, with a focus on women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

At the official launch held at Camp 27, Khanjada Shahriar Bin Mannan, Senior Assistant Secretary and Camp-in-Charge, inaugurated the programme as chief guest. He commended the project’s design and suggested incorporating elephant corridors and tree planting into the plan, assuring full government cooperation for its success.

Subrata Kumar Chakrabarty, Advisor to BRAC’s Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP), emphasised that the project symbolises collective responsibility:

“The HDC programme is not solely a BRAC initiative. It reflects a joint commitment to address the ongoing crisis. The key now lies in effective and timely implementation.”

The Rohingya crisis, now in its eighth year, continues to strain Cox’s Bazar with dwindling donor support, social pressures, and overstretched local resources. This project seeks to provide a mid-term solution by blending humanitarian relief with long-term development, ensuring peaceful coexistence and cost-effective service delivery.

Implemented by BRAC with EU support, the project will run for 24 months across Camps 1 East, 17, 26, and 27, as well as host communities in Rajapalong, Palangkhali, and Nhila unions. Its lessons aim to build a model for other prolonged humanitarian crises worldwide.