By Camp Correspondent
Cox’s Bazar, March 4, 2025 –
The United Nations has announced a drastic reduction in food assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, slashing monthly rations from $12.50 to just $6 starting in April due to a severe funding shortfall.
Aid workers warn that this cut will significantly worsen hunger in the world’s largest refugee settlement.
Bangladesh’s top refugee official, Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, confirmed the reduction, stating that he was verbally informed yesterday and received official confirmation today.
“The current rations are already insufficient, so it’s difficult to imagine the impact of this further reduction,” he told Reuters.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has not yet publicly commented on the decision, but a letter reviewed by Reuters confirmed that fundraising efforts had failed, leaving no choice but to implement the cuts.
Rising Hunger, Growing Crisis
Bangladesh currently hosts over one million Rohingya refugees, most of whom fled ethnic violence in Myanmar in 2016 and 2017.
Living in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, the Rohingya have no formal employment opportunities, rely entirely on humanitarian aid, and now face even greater food insecurity.
Over 70,000 more Rohingya fled to Bangladesh last year, partly due to worsening conditions in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where food shortages and armed conflict have intensified.
The WFP has warned that reducing rations below $6 per month will push assistance below survival levels, making it impossible to meet even basic dietary needs.
Aid workers are deeply concerned that malnutrition rates, which had spiked after previous cuts, will skyrocket again.
Impact of US Foreign Aid Reductions
While the WFP has not officially linked the funding shortfall to US aid cuts, Rahman suggested it was a key factor.
The United States has historically been the largest donor to the Rohingya response, contributing over $300 million in 2024.
However, recent budget reductions have already impacted hospital operations, waste management, and other essential services in the camps.
Five U.S.-funded hospitals have been forced to scale down their services, and the latest ration cuts will only deepen the crisis.
“If food rations are reduced further, it will create a serious humanitarian disaster,” Rahman warned, adding that stateless Rohingya refugees should not have to suffer due to a funding gap.
Severe Consequences Expected
The last major food aid reduction, in 2023, dropped rations to $8 per month, leading to:
- 90% of Rohingya refugees struggling to access enough food
- Child malnutrition rates exceeding 15%, the highest recorded in the camps
- A rise in crime, human trafficking, and child labor as desperate families sought survival
With the new cuts bringing rations down to just 24 Bangladeshi taka per day, refugees are left with barely enough for one egg or a banana—nowhere near the nutritional needs of an adult, let alone a child.
Calls for Urgent International Action
During his visit to Cox’s Bazar, UNHCR Commissioner Filippo Grandi warned that the dramatic reduction in donor support could threaten years of progress in assisting the Rohingya.
Humanitarian organizations are now calling for urgent international intervention to prevent an impending hunger crisis. Without immediate funding commitments, the situation in the refugee camps is expected to deteriorate rapidly, leading to severe malnutrition, illness, and heightened tensions.
As the Rohingya remain stateless, without rights or legal recognition, this latest cut in aid pushes them further into a cycle of suffering, neglect, and despair.
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