By: Hafizur Rahman
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh – July 19, 2025
As monsoon rains batter the world’s largest refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh, aid agencies are raising alarm over the compounding risks faced by Rohingya refugees amid drastic funding cuts. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warns that reductions in support for community infrastructure projects have not only disrupted livelihoods but have also left thousands more vulnerable to floods, landslides, and deteriorating living conditions.
In the sprawling, densely populated camps of Cox’s Bazar—home to over one million displaced Rohingyas—the narrow dirt paths that wind between makeshift shelters have become slick and treacherous. Basic infrastructure such as latrines, drainage systems, and water access points are at growing risk of collapse or contamination.
Since 2020, UNHCR and its partners had implemented a community-based maintenance programme that offered modest wages to Rohingya refugees for tasks like shoring up hillsides, repairing paths, and clearing blocked drains. The programme not only helped keep vital infrastructure functioning but also gave participants a small income and a sense of purpose.
But this year, global humanitarian funding has declined sharply. Where once 30 to 40 refugees might work on a single project, now only seven or eight are involved. In many areas, these initiatives have stopped altogether.
Jahid Alam, a 45-year-old father of two and camp resident, relied on the programme to supplement his family’s food ration. “We don’t get enough food from aid,” he said. “When I could work, I used the money to buy eggs, oil, and vegetables for my children. Now, I have no way to do that.”
Jahid and his wife both live with disabilities. For them, the programme was more than economic support—it offered dignity and a lifeline. “It made me feel I was doing something useful,” he said. “Now I feel helpless again.”
The cuts are being felt across the camp system. According to UNHCR, in early 2024, over 5,500 refugees were engaged in more than 500 maintenance projects. This year, that number has fallen by nearly two-thirds. Bridges remain broken, slopes are left unfortified, and drainage systems are clogged—turning once-passable paths into mud-filled hazards.
“These aren’t just minor inconveniences,” said Afruza Sultana, who works with BRAC on Site Management Support. “They are daily threats to people’s safety and well-being. When latrines collapse, when paths wash away, people are injured, sanitation suffers, and disease spreads.”
Afruza also emphasized the deeper impact on camp life. “This wasn’t just about employment—it gave people meaning, structure, and hope. Now, families are withdrawing children from learning centres, sending teenagers into risky work, or contemplating dangerous sea journeys out of desperation.”
Twenty-four-year-old Jaynub Begum, a camp resident, remembers helping build stairs leading to a shared latrine near her shelter last year. “That gave us safety during the rains,” she said. “This year, the latrine is on the verge of collapse, and there’s no one repairing anything. We’re scared to even use it now.”
UNHCR’s July 11 briefing warned that unless more funding is secured soon, further disruptions will affect healthcare, food aid, fuel distribution, and education services for children. The agency stressed that the consequences could be severe, especially as new Rohingya families continue to flee escalating violence in Myanmar and seek safety across the border.
“Humanitarian funding may be shrinking, but the needs on the ground are only growing,” said Afruza. “Behind every project cut is a family that suffers—families who have already endured trauma, displacement, and statelessness. We must not abandon them now.”
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