WFP - Resilience Programme Cox's Bazar 2024 Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh has garnered international attention as the locus of one of the most pressing humanitarian crises of our time, following the influx of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nations (FDMNs) fleeing persecution in Myanmar. This district, already challenged by socio-economic and environmental issues, has had to grapple with the added pressure of supporting a large FDMNs population. Humanitarian efforts in the region have thus been multifaceted, aiming to address immediate needs while also considering long-term sustainability and community resilience. WFP has been supporting the Rohingya and host communities to address various challenges around food assistance, nutrition, skills development, youth engagement, enhancement of local community resilience, market linkage promotion, and disaster risk reduction. These activities are designed not only to mitigate the current humanitarian situation but also to lay the groundwork for sustainable development and self-reliance of both the Rohingya community and host populations in Cox's Bazar. As the Rohingya response became a protracted crisis, WFP is undertaking a resilience programme approach focusing on 6 issues namely – natural resource management, green skills development, engaging youth in productive works, sustainable agriculture, market linkage and anticipatory action to build resilient communities in both camps and local communities. The data shows that natural resource management has become a key issue as the region's forest cover has been heavily impacted due to the demand for firewood and space (UNHCR, 2020) by the Rohingya community as well as host. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, forest resources around FDMN camps have been heavily depleted, which threatens biodiversity and increases the risk of landslides and other natural disasters. The deforestation that has resulted from the establishment of FDMN camps has had cascading effects on the environment, leading to soil erosion and increased vulnerability to natural disasters (FAO, 2018). This environmental challenge directly impacts the potential for green skills development in the camp. With the depletion of natural resources, FDMNs face significant hurdles in implementing sustainable practices such as homestead gardening and aquaculture due to a lack of space and resources (WFP, 2021). Also, as parts of Cox’s Bazar fall under ‘ecological critical area’ zone, a comprehensive approach is necessary to ensure the impact of livelihood activities on the environment. The income opportunity and scarcity in the camps can also lead to unrest among the youth in camps. In this context, nurturing youth volunteers becomes increasingly important to support the youth copes with trauma and the stresses of displacement. High levels of distress, language barriers, and cultural differences make their engagement and retention in constructive activities a complex task (UNICEF, 2020). 

The local host community is also impacted by the influx of Rohingya and due to climate change. Unpredictable weather patterns and limited access to innovative and resilient agricultural practice directly affects food security and livelihoods (UNDP, 2019). Local communities face the challenge of adapting to climate change, with cyclones and heavy monsoon rains being common in the area. As per the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the unpredictability of weather patterns and limited access to climate-resilient agricultural technology are barriers to enhancing agricultural production and post-harvest management (UNDP, 2019). Along with improved production technology and capacity, the farmers would also require support on market linkage and promotion. The challenges of the farmers are amplified by infrastructure deficits and limited market access, which restrict the economic growth potential for both FDMNs and locals. These barriers prevent efficient supply chain integration and market access for agricultural and non-agricultural products alike (IOM, 2019). This is closely tied to the efforts to enhance resilience and build the capacity of the local community. Lastly, anticipatory action support is critical to ensure the local community is well prepared for disasters and have the means to cope with the disasters. Anticipatory action would support the local communities with advisory services, pre-financing from the government and build capacity of the local disaster management committees. 

The issues at Cox's Bazar are interconnected, with environmental degradation affecting livelihood opportunities, which in turn impacts social stability and economic resilience. Addressing these challenges requires a holistic approach that recognizes the interdependence of environmental health, economic opportunity, social well-being, and effective disaster risk management. The activities targeting environmental rehabilitation, green skill development, youth engagement, community resilience, economic growth, and disaster preparedness are critical in ensuring that the Rohingya population and host communities can look towards a more sustainable future.

On that note, in alignment with the organization's track record and expertise, Cordaid in Bangladesh would like to offer support to WFP Bangladesh in addressing challenges around green skills, capacity strengthening and building the resilience of the local community, market linkage and anticipatory action activities. As per the Terms of Reference (TOR) the scope of this partnership will focus on the implementation of activities in FDMNs focusing on support to resilient food systems in Cox’s Bazar, with the following objectives: 
For COMPONENT 1: HOMESTEAD GARDENING
•	Restoration of natural resource base and support climate-resilient local food production 
•	Linking production and value chain, strengthening to food demand and consumption 
And for COMPONENT 3: SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (UPCYCLING), the specific objectives are:
•	Enhance waste management initiatives to reduce the environmental degradation in camps 
•	Provide vulnerable FDMNs income opportunity and portable skills in engaging up-cycling process and production. COMPONENT 1: HOMESTEAD GARDENING

Target Beneficiary : 5000 FDMNs ( 80% female & 15% person with disabilities)

COMPONENT 3: SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (UPCYCLING)

Target Beneficiary : 1200 FDMNs ( 50% female & 15% person with disabilities)