The influx of Rohingya people from Myanmar in 2017 posed an imposing challenge for the fickle infrastructure, local habitat as well on the environment in the areas of Ukhiya and Teknaf and caused a humanitarian crisis in that region. BRAC, along with other humanitarian organizations, decided to help these forcibly displaced people. Along with the shortage of food and shelter, poor water and sanitation was a major problem for these people in the camps of Cox’s Bazar. The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in Dhaka perceived the threats posed to these displaced people and addressed the situation and allocated funds to BRAC for helping these people with better water and sanitation services. The project was initiated in October 2018 and was continued till January 2020. Under this project, BRAC undertook and implemented different WASH interventions in both FDMN camps and host communities, including installation and repair of WASH facilities like deep tubewells (DTWs), piped networking, chlorination to purify water, latrines, bathing cubicles, Faecal Sludge Management (FSM), Bio-gas, hand washing devices, hygiene education sessions with forming community groups for the promotion of improved hygiene behavior and practices. BRAC carried out all these activities under a joint response plan (JRP) in collaboration and coordination with other stakeholders and partners active in the intervention areas. Since the project has come to an end, BRAC intends to conduct an end-line evaluation to assess the status of the interventions made during the timeline of the project. The primary objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the WASH supports provided to the targeted beneficiaries (men, women, boys and girls) at Rohingya camps and host communities under this project.

This was a mixed-method study involving both quantitative and qualitative tools. The quantitative part focused on household visits on selected sites based on randomization and where the intervention was implemented in both the camp and host areas. A total sample of 1234 households of camps and 914 households of the adjacent host communities have been selected purposively for the survey. For the qualitative part FGDs, IDIs and KIIs have been conducted to assess, understand and comprehend the reasons for success/failure of the interventions made by BRAC, how those interventions may be managed now that since the project is coming to an end and activities are being handed over to the partners managing those interventions in the camps. Also, it would be investigated whether the present organizational setup that is in place at BRAC has fully fulfilled the objectives of the intervention set forth by the EKN fund, any shortcomings/ success factors for learning lessons for the future