By: Camp Correspondent
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh – March 29, 2025
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has reinstated food rations for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, bringing relief to over 1.2 million displaced individuals living in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar and on Bhashan Char island.
Under the revised plan, each refugee will now receive $12 per month in Cox’s Bazar and $13 in Bhashan Char—returning food support to near-previous levels. The confirmation came through an official letter sent to the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, earlier this week.
This announcement reverses WFP’s earlier plan to reduce monthly rations from $12.50 to just $6 starting in April due to a global funding crisis. That decision had sparked widespread concern among Rohingya refugees and humanitarian organizations, who warned it would drive families deeper into hunger and malnutrition.
Despite ongoing financial challenges, WFP stated it has mobilized sufficient resources to maintain life-saving assistance at nearly the same level as before.
“This crucial support will help maintain food security and nutrition for Rohingya and host communities,” said RRRC Mohammed Mizanur Rahman. “We appreciate WFP’s efforts and urge the international community to ensure continued support.”
A Community Uplifted by Hope
The news has sparked relief and cautious optimism among the Rohingya community, who remain entirely dependent on humanitarian aid after being driven from their homeland in Arakan (Rakhine State) during the 2017 genocide.
“We were terrified when we heard about the ration cuts,” said Mohammed Karim, a refugee in Cox’s Bazar. “We have no work, no income. This support means our children won’t go hungry. We are grateful, but we ask the world not to forget us.”
On Bhashan Char, where refugees face greater isolation and hardship, the restored aid brought a sense of dignity back to daily life.
“When food is uncertain, everything becomes unbearable—especially for mothers,” said Amina Khatun, a widowed mother of four. “Now that the rations are back, at least we know we can feed our families.”
Ongoing Uncertainty
While the reinstated rations provide temporary relief, humanitarian agencies caution that the future remains uncertain. WFP and its 113 partner organizations are currently seeking $934.5 million to support 1.48 million people—including both Rohingya refugees and vulnerable Bangladeshi host communities—for the 2025–26 period.
The funding crisis deepened earlier this year when USAID temporarily halted operations, and WFP warned that its food supplies could run dangerously low without new donations.
Cox’s Bazar hosts the world’s largest refugee settlement, while Bhashan Char—an isolated island facility in the Bay of Bengal—houses tens of thousands of Rohingya who were relocated with limited consultation or consent. Neither location offers freedom of movement, education, or sustainable livelihoods for the refugees.
“The restored rations are a lifeline,” said a local camp volunteer. “But until we are allowed to return to our homeland with dignity, every day is a struggle to survive.”
As the Rohingya community braces for Ramadan under the weight of ongoing displacement and restricted rights, the need for sustained global solidarity has never been more urgent.
