The United Nations has warned that it will be forced to halve rations for approximately one million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh starting next month due to insufficient funding.
The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Wednesday that “severe funding shortfalls” will necessitate reducing monthly food vouchers from $12.50 to $6 per person.
“Unfortunately, we have still not received sufficient funding, and cost-saving measures alone are not enough,” the WFP stated in a letter.
Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh’s top official overseeing Rohingya refugee camps, confirmed the aid reduction.
“I received the letter confirming a $6.50 cut, which will take effect from April 1,” said Rahman, Bangladesh’s refugee relief and repatriation commissioner. “What they are receiving now is already insufficient, so it’s hard to imagine the consequences of this new cut.”
The WFP announcement comes just days before UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to visit Rohingya refugees to mark the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Bangladesh hosts more than one million Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority who fled violent purges in Myanmar, primarily in 2016 and 2017. They reside in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, with limited access to employment and education.
Repeated aid reductions have worsened conditions for the refugees, many of whom rely entirely on external assistance and face widespread malnutrition. Bangladesh continues to struggle with supporting them, as large-scale repatriation to Myanmar or resettlement elsewhere remains unlikely.
Nay San Lwin, co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, described the food voucher cut as “a death sentence” for refugees already facing dire circumstances.
“WFP should focus on reducing administrative costs and other expenses while ensuring refugees receive lifesaving support,” he told Al Jazeera. “International donors should prioritize humanitarian efforts over other expenditures.”
Risk of Hunger and Disease
The funding shortfall stems from a general decline in donations rather than a specific policy decision by the former Trump administration to reduce US foreign aid globally, according to the WFP. However, Rahman noted that past US funding cuts have strained health services in the camps, affecting hospitals, waste management, and overall operations.
“Cuts by Washington mean a squeeze on operations at hospitals in the Rohingya camps,” Rahman said. “If food assistance is further reduced, it will create a serious crisis. These people are stateless and should not suffer due to funding shortages.”
In 2024, the US contributed over 50 percent of funds for the Rohingya humanitarian response, totaling approximately $300 million.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi recently expressed concern over the potential decline in donor support, warning that it could jeopardize thousands of lives.
“If donor support decreases dramatically – which may happen – the significant efforts by the Bangladesh government, aid agencies, and refugees themselves will be compromised, putting thousands at risk of hunger, disease, and insecurity,” Grandi wrote on X.
A previous round of ration cuts in 2023, which reduced food aid to $8 per month, resulted in a surge in hunger and malnutrition, according to UN reports. Within months, 90 percent of the camp population struggled to access sufficient nutrition, and over 15 percent of children suffered from malnutrition—the highest recorded rate. The cut was later reversed.
On Monday, the European Commission announced a humanitarian aid package of 76 million euros ($79.4 million) for Rohingya refugees and others affected by the conflict in Myanmar.
“The EU stands firmly with Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, just as we have for the past seven years,” said EU Crisis Commissioner Hadja Lahbib. “With conflict still ongoing in Rakhine State and across Myanmar, their safe and dignified return remains out of reach.”
Lahbib, who recently visited refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting the Rohingya amidst the ongoing crisis.
