Food Aid Cuts in Rohingya Camps May Trigger Security Crisis, Says Bangladesh
DHAKA — Bangladeshi authorities issued a stark warning on Wednesday that the United Nations’ decision to reduce food rations for Rohingya refugees could spark a security crisis in the sprawling camps, where nearly 1.3 million people already live on the edge of survival.
The World Food Programme has begun categorizing the refugee population into three groups based on need. About one-third of Rohingya will continue receiving $12 per month. The remainder will see their assistance cut to either $10 or $7, with more than 200,000 people falling into the lowest tier.
Mizanur Rahman, the refugee relief and repatriation commissioner in Cox’s Bazar, where 33 camps house the displaced community, said the reduction will have consequences far beyond nutrition.
“Rohingya will desperately try to come out of the camps in search of work and food,” he told Arab News. “The law-and-order situation will deteriorate.”
He warned of a likely rise in drug peddling, human trafficking, and other crimes, adding that the host community in the coastal district would also feel the strain.
It is not the first time funding shortages have forced cuts. In early 2023, rations dropped to $8 a month, and malnutrition among children reached 15 percent — the highest recorded. Rations were increased to $12 last year, but officials say even that amount was never sufficient.
The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority, have lived for centuries in Myanmar’s Rakhine State but were stripped of their citizenship in the 1980s. Around 700,000 fled to Bangladesh in 2017 alone following a military crackdown. Despite repeated efforts by Bangladeshi authorities, a UN-backed repatriation process has failed to gain traction.
“We want them to return,” said Abu Saleh Mohammad Obaidullah, additional refugee relief and repatriation commissioner. “Until that happens, we appeal to the international community to continue providing funding to ensure a minimally dignified life for them.”
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