The United Nations will be forced to cut the allocated food aid for nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, by half. The World Food Programme (WFP), a UN agency, informed Bangladesh of this plan in a letter on Wednesday, March 5, citing a “severe funding crisis,” according to Al Jazeera.
The letter stated, “Regrettably, we have not received sufficient funding, and mere cost-cutting measures are not enough. As a result, starting April 1, the food allocation (ration) per person will drop from $12.50 to $6.”
Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh’s chief official overseeing the refugee camps, confirmed the reduction in food aid. He mentioned that WFP had tried to secure $12.50 per person per month but failed to find enough donors.
This announcement comes as UN Secretary-General António Guterres prepares to visit Bangladesh during Ramadan to meet with Rohingya refugees.
Background
Bangladesh hosts over 1 million Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Myanmar in 2016 and 2017. They live in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar with limited access to employment and education.
Due to the continuous reduction in aid, Rohingya refugees face severe hardship, relying heavily on relief assistance and suffering from extreme malnutrition. Bangladesh struggles to support them, with slim prospects for large-scale repatriation to Myanmar or resettlement elsewhere.
Nay San Lwin, co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, criticized the decision to reduce food aid, calling it a “death sentence” for the refugees. He urged WFP to cut administrative and other expenses to maintain life-saving support.
Impact of US Aid Cuts
The funding crisis worsened after the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) ceased funding, a move initiated by President Donald Trump on January 20. The US previously contributed around 80% of WFP’s funding for the Rohingya camps.
Mizanur Rahman highlighted that in 2024, the US provided $300 million for Rohingya humanitarian aid, over 50% of the total funding.
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, warned that reduced donor support would put thousands of lives at risk.
The UN noted that after reducing food aid to $8 in 2023, hunger and malnutrition levels in the camps rose sharply.
