FROM THE DVB NEWSROOM

U.N. Special Rapporteurs condemned food ration cuts for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh on June 1. The World Food Programme (WFP) decided to enforce the cuts after a $56 million USD funding shortfall. Food rations to Rohingya have been reduced to $8 USD per month. The experts said that the cuts would increase the hardship of Rohingya living in the camps. The rations were previously cut from $12 USD per month to $10 USD per month in March 2023.  

“In the span of three months, Rohingya refugees have seen their food rations cut by a third, further eroding the health and security of a population already suffering from severe trauma and deprivation,” said U.N. experts. Around one million Rohingya living in refugee camps in Bangladesh are affected. “The impact on the Rohingya will be severe and long-lasting, stunting the development of children and dimming the hopes of future generations. Vulnerable populations, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, adolescent girls, and children under five will bear the brunt of the cuts and be further exposed to exploitation and abuse,” added the U.N. experts.

At least 45 percent of Rohingya adults in Bangladesh suffer from insufficient nutrition and 40 percent of children suffer from stunted growth. Cyclone Mocha destroyed around 40,000 shelters. The experts called on U.N. member states to close the $56 million funding shortfall and reverse the food ration cuts. Over 700,000 Rohingya fled from Burma to Bangladesh in 2017 after the military launched a “security clearance” operation in northern Rakhine State labeled a genocide by the U.S. government. Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh face difficult living conditions as rampant crime and violence has increased over the last five years.