As many as 500 Rohingya refugee families deemed most vulnerable to the approaching monsoon season are preparing to be re-housed at a new site constructed from 12 acres of land in Cox’s Bazar. The work forms part of the Site Maintenance Engineering Project (SMEP) – a major initiative to support the Bangladesh government in its emergency preparedness and response. “We’re very happy to be able to move to the next stage in this ambitious project, which has been a great example of inter-agency collaboration,” Kevin J Allen, head of UNHCR’s operations in Cox’s Bazar, said. The UN refugee agency is working to implement the SMEP in Cox’s Bazar alongside the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The area has been categorized as prone to landslides, even before rapid settlement on the slopes made the ground extra vulnerable to erosion.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 08, 2018 12:45 UTC