About the Ukhiya Host Community

The massive influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh has had a profound impact on the local community in Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh received more refugees in just the first three weeks of the influx (in August 2017) than Europe received in 2016 during the Syrian crisis (Huang et al. 2018).

The Rohingya refugee crisis has profoundly affected the livelihoods of host communities, particularly those who live in Ukhiya upazila in Cox’s Bazar, as it is compounded by the fact that this area of Bangladesh was already low in socio-economic development. 80% of Ukhiya locals surveyed said they had been directly affected by the influx. 

The rising prices of essential goods and decreasing daily wages for labourers have severely affected host community populations, especially among poor households. There have also been extremely adverse impacts on physical infrastructure, public services, and the environment. Many locals are concerned about sharing scarce natural resources such as groundwater and forests with the refugee population, and many households have lost their crops as a result of the influx. Because of this, there are mounting tensions among refugees and host communities. 

Adding to this, the conditions for women’s employment and empowerment in Cox’s Bazar were substandard even before the crisis. Since local women have less exposure to job markets, it is important to build skills that can allow them to make an income. 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has recommended that focusing on income-generating activities in the host community, especially in agriculture, fisheries and livestock, and vocational training, is essential to revitalise employment opportunities and consequently promote social cohesion among refugees and host communities. 

The UNDP proposes homestead gardening in the host community as a strategy to help both refugee and host communities. Refugees are provided basic food rations but depend on local markets, such as in Ukhiya, for fresh produce. Supporting households in agricultural production through providing training and micro-gardening kits is effective in achieving food security and helping poor households diversify their livelihoods.

For these reasons, Maiya School has expanded our programming into a livelihoods project for Bangladeshi women in the host community. We’ve partnered with two local women’s associations to train their members in agricultural, food preparation, and sewing skills, along with providing them with resources, so they can grow their own food and generate income to support themselves and their families.

Read more about our Livelihoods Project here.