Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh A recent survey by the World Food Programme (WFP) highlights a severe decline in food security among Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar camps. Published on Monday, the “Refugee Influx Emergency Vulnerability Assessment Report” categorizes 86 percent of Rohingyas as vulnerable, a sharp increase from 57 percent in 2017.
The report indicates that food deprivation in Cox’s Bazar has surged from 44 percent in 2019 to 70 percent in 2023. Faced with dire circumstances, many Rohingya households have resorted to begging, child labor, and borrowing money to survive. Approximately 50 percent of families reported borrowing money for food, reflecting the significant financial strain they are under.
For the first time since 2017, a considerable number of Rohingya households cannot afford an acceptable diet. The survey revealed that 10 percent of households are experiencing poor diet quality, with a total of 70 percent classified as poor or borderline. Only 30 percent of households reported acceptable food consumption, an 11 percentage point decline from previous years.
A major factor in the crisis is the reduction in food aid due to global funding shortages. In 2023, the WFP had to cut its food aid from $12 to $8 per person for the Rohingya crisis. Despite a partial increase to $11 last month, the funding remains insufficient. Only $576 million (65.8%) of the $876 million appeal for humanitarian needs met in 2023, coinciding with double-digit food inflation in Bangladesh.
Because of the ration cuts, households are unable to meet their monthly needs with the items provided by WFP e-voucher outlets. Families reported that staples such as pulses, oil, spices, and sugar often ran out by the end of the month and sometimes as early as halfway through. The food provided, including rice, onion, garlic, oil, lentils, salt, sugar, spices, chili pepper, and turmeric, only suffices for 18–20 days each month. A staggering 93 percent of Rohingyas reported that the rice rations were insufficient.
Rohingyas in Bhashan Char, who receive $15 in food assistance, are faring better than their counterparts in Cox’s Bazar. Women-headed households, despite receiving extra assistance for fresh food, are among the worst affected, along with families headed by children or with disabled members.
In Cox’s Bazar, only 56 percent of Rohingyas reported having some form of income, down 10 percent from 2022. The average monthly income for a Rohingya family is Tk 4,940 in Cox’s Bazar and Tk 5,940 in Bhashan Char. Most work as unskilled day laborers, agricultural workers, or camp workers. Despite these efforts, 65 percent of households in Cox’s Bazar could not meet their monthly expenditure in 2023, a 27 percent increase from 2022.
The report starkly warns that if food assistance is entirely removed, 83 percent of Rohingyas would be unable to meet their monthly expenditure needs. Even with aid, a quarter of the population fails to afford the minimum food basket required for survival. Protein consumption has notably declined to just 2.8 days per week, while milk, dairy products, and fruit consumption averages less than one day per week.
In response to these harsh realities, 8 percent of camp residents have restricted food consumption among adults to ensure children receive at least one meal a day. The report underscores the acute impacts of inflation on a community already grappling with reduced assistance. For a Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar, 68 percent of all expenditure is on food, and despite decreased consumption, the average monthly expenditure for cash purchases has increased by Tk 203 per person.
The findings call for urgent international action to address the funding shortfalls and improve the living conditions and food security for Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar.
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