This paper examines the impact of refugee camp hosting on local communities, specifically the Rohingya crisis in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. It uses remote sensing measurements and panel data to compare areas and individuals at varying distances before and after the Rohingya arrived. The results highlight the complex dynamics of areas that host displaced populations. The paper finds that when the proximity of a grid to the refugee camps increases by 30 km (18.6 miles), night light density rises by 1.7 percent and deforestation expands by 0.02 percent. Land use results align with these findings, showing a decline in dense-open forest and an increase in land covered by grass and crops. The analysis of individual-level data suggests that the Rohingya’s presence manifests in higher job formality, better access to aid, and more food consumption—all largely attributable to the activities of humanitarian organizations. However, their presence is also associated with heightened safety concerns and a higher prevalence of viral diseases such as diarrhea, fever, and cough.
Authors
Etang Ndip, Alvin, Rozo,, Sandra V., Urbina, María José, Wieser, Christina
- Associated content
- Link to data and reproducibility package
- Citation
- “ Etang Ndip, Alvin ; Rozo, Sandra V. ; Urbina, María José ; Wieser, Christina . 2024 . Refugees and Humanitarian Aid: The Rohingya Impact on Bangladesh’s Development . Policy Research Working Paper; 10884 . © Washington, DC: World Bank . http://hdl.handle.net/10986/42106 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO . ”
- Collection(s)
- Policy Research Working Papers
- DOI
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-10884
- Identifier externaldocumentum
- 34382009
- Identifier internaldocumentum
- 34382009
- Pages
- 63
- Published in
- United States of America
- Region country
- Bangladesh
- RelationisPartofseries
- Policy Research Working Paper; 10884
- Report
- WPS10884
- Rights
- CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Rights Holder
- World Bank
- Rights URI
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
- UNIT
- DECRG: Poverty & Inequality (DECPI)
- URI
- https://hdl.handle.net/10986/42106
- date disclosure
- 2024-08-29
- region administrative
- South Asia
Files
Table of Contents
- =INTRODUCTION 4
- =CONTEXT: THE DISPLACED ROHINGYA POPULATION IN BANGLADESH 9
- =EMPIRICAL STRATEGY 13
- Identification Strategy: Difference-in-Differences 13
- Data 14
- Remote Sensing Data 14
- Remote Sensing Outcomes 16
- Cox's Bazar Panel Survey 16
- Individual-Level Outcomes 18
- IMPACTS OF REFUGEE CAMPS ON NIGHT LIGHT AND DEFORESTATION 20
- IMPACTS OF REFUGEE CAMPS ON INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL OUTCOMES 21
- Adult and Household Welfare 22
- Labor Market 23
- Health and Education 23
- Safety Perceptions 24
- Hosts' Attitudes toward the Displaced Rohingya Population 25
- Heterogeneous Effects 25
- =CONCLUDING REMARKS 25
- FIGURES 32
- TABLES 43
- Heterogeneous Effects 54
- Outcome Variables Description 57
- Robustness Tests 63
