Food assistance slashed for hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees

Key Points:

• Starting Wednesday, food assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh’s overcrowded camps will be reduced under a new tiered system by the UN World Food Program (WFP), with about 17% receiving as little as $7 per month compared to the previous $12.
• The Rohingya, who fled Myanmar’s military attacks in 2017 and are barred from working in Bangladesh, rely heavily on humanitarian aid, and many fear the cuts will lead to severe hunger and increased desperation.
• The WFP maintains that the reduced rations still meet the minimum daily calorie requirements, but Bangladeshi officials warn the cuts will worsen law and order and push refugees to seek dangerous alternatives such as fleeing the camps or attempting perilous journeys abroad.
• Last year’s significant foreign aid cuts led to a previous ration reduction, causing a surge in malnutrition, child labor, and other social issues in the camps; funding for Rohingya support programs remains critically low this year.
• Refugees have protested the new food assistance system, expressing fears that the cuts will force them into life-threatening situations, including risky migration attempts and even returning to Myanmar despite ongoing dangers.