While the world is discussing, debating and strategising the implementation of Humanitarian-Development Nexus, BRAC, one of the world's largest NGO, has made tangible progress in its Humanitarian operation for the Rohingya population in Cox's Bazaar. This simply shows BRAC's initiative driven approach.

1. The Humanitarian-Development
Nexus in Practice: The case of
BRAC in Cox’s Bazaar
KAM Morshed
Sr. Director, AIM
January 24, 2021

2. The Boring Stuffs

3. Changing Context
• Conflicts become more protracted,
top 10 averaged 42 years in 2019
• Average humanitarian crisis lasted 9
years in 2019
• SDGs call for leaving no one behind
include the displaced population too
• The one palpable change on the
field though is intensified discussion
and debates
• Concept created during the food
crises of mid-80’s in Sahelian Africa
• Revival of a debate focused on
Linking Relief Rehabilitation and
Development
• Core idea is the need to link and
create synergies between short-term
relief measures and longer-term
development programmes
• World Humanitarian Summit (Istanbul
2016)
– Collective outcomes overcoming HD
divide
– New way of Working
– Localisation

4. UN SGs call to “transcend
the humanitarian-
development divide”
Many faces of the divide
• Coordination
• Organisation/Standard split
• Donor split
• Support split…
“DEVELOPMENT”
“HUMANITARIAN”
Service
delivery
Systems
building
State
avoidance
State
partnership
Nexus

5. So What are We Doing About It?

6. Sir F. H. Abed, Founder
BRAC • BRAC originated as a Humanitarian
agency to help reintegrate Bangladeshi
refugees who took refuge during the
glorious war of independence.
• Today, we specialise in service delivery
but, like the UN, take every opportunity
to bolster the system. We remained
independent in our interventions yet
never too distant from the government,
like many humanitarian NGOs.
• In other words, we operate in the nexus
in naturally

7. Early Days • Our initial intervention in the
Rohingya camps was on
WASH
– We installed toilets, water
points, and bathing cubicles
– Later we have also supported
fecal sludge management,
and piped water supply
• Because, from day one, we
thought about usage and
maintenance, about ownership
and voice
– We formed Wash
Committees

8. Turning the Camp into Community
• Promoting women led
development model
that worked so well in
Bangladesh while
ensuring the strict
humanitarian
interpretation of
‘protection’

9. Turning the Camp into Community
• Sowing Hope for an
ordinary life in an
ordinary community
within the context of
their uncertain but
eventual return

10. • Our goal to support the
refugees to work like a
community and dream
like a community

11. The Humanitarian-
Development Nexus in
Practice: The case of
BRAC in Cox’s Bazaar
KAM Morshed
Sr. Director, AIM
January 24, 2021
A Disclaimer
•This was not our fully
deliberate response to the
higher calling of H-D-N as we
never had much time to take
side in the global debate.
•We just respectfully heard and
acted on the refugees yearning
to start a ‘life’

12. Thank You for your indulgence