The WFP will cut food rations for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh by over 50% from 1 April due to funding shortages, sparking concerns about hunger and insecurity.
Senior Bangladeshi officials have raised concerns over the UN World Food Programme’s (WFP) decision to cut food rations for Rohingya refugees in the country by more than 50%, reducing the allocation from $12.50 to $6 per person per month from 1 April.
The WFP informed the Bangladeshi government of its plan on Wednesday, citing funding shortages, according to Bangladesh Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, who spoke to Anadolu on Thursday.
From April, Rohingya refugees will receive just $6 per person per month instead of the current $12.50, he confirmed.
Bangladesh has been sheltering over 1.2 million Rohingya in the southeastern Cox’s Bazar district since they fled a military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017.
As Rohingya refugees are not legally permitted to work or leave the barbed-wire-enclosed camps, they are almost entirely dependent on humanitarian aid. A monthly ration of $6 per person is unlikely to cover even their most basic food needs.
“This reduction will have devastating consequences for the Rohingya population in the camps; even their mental well-being will be affected,” Commissioner Rahman warned.
Rahman attributed the WFP’s decision to the recent shutdown of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Trump administration. The US provides around 80% of the WFP’s financial support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
Sumbul Rizvi, the UNHCR’s country representative, issued a statement on Thursday warning that any reduction in humanitarian aid could have serious repercussions for a population entirely reliant on it.
"Cutting food assistance will have catastrophic effects on the lives of Rohingya refugees, exposing them to hunger and disease while increasing insecurity and despair,” he stated.
The humanitarian response must prioritise the refugees’ most urgent needs. “We need the support and shared humanity of the international community,” Rizvi urged.
The WFP has already appealed to donors for $81 million in aid to sustain assistance for the Rohingya.
Meanwhile, during a recent meeting with US officials, Bangladesh’s transitional government leader, Muhammad Yunus, urged them to reconsider cutting USAID funding for the refugees.
Speaking with UN officials in Dhaka earlier this week, Yunus described the issue as critical for Bangladesh, stating: “The UN secretary-general is coming. We are working to draw international attention to the Rohingya crisis.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is scheduled to visit Bangladesh from 13 to 16 March.
According to Bloomberg News, the United States and Russia are working toward an agreement aimed at halting the war in Ukraine by formalizing Russia’...
A fire broke out at Cordoba’s historic mosque-cathedral on the night of 8 August but was swiftly extinguished, preventing damage to one of Spain’...
Wildfires driven by powerful winds swept through Greece on Friday, from the southern outskirts of Athens to the region near Ancient Olympia....
The Canadian government announced Friday it will join key allies in reducing the price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil in response to Moscow’s ong...
Washington, D.C., will see its federal security funding reduced by $20 million this year under a Trump administration plan, despite the president’s ...
The World Food Programme has warned that its food supplies in Gaza have run out, leaving hundreds of thousands at risk as charity kitchens face imminent shutdown.
Over a million displaced people in Myanmar are set to be affected by the World Food Programme’s cuts to food aid worldwide.
Japan pledges $7 million to fight hunger and malnutrition in Afghanistan, supporting humanitarian efforts to improve food security and nutrition.
The United Nations' World Food Programme, which gets much of its funding from the United States, is closing its southern African bureau due to funding constraints, the agency said on Monday.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
Chinese automaker Chery has denied an industry-ministry audit that disqualified more than $53 million in state incentives for thousands of its electric and hybrid vehicles, insisting it followed official guidance and committed no fraud.
According to Bloomberg News, the United States and Russia are working toward an agreement aimed at halting the war in Ukraine by formalizing Russia’s occupation of territories seized during its invasion.
A fire broke out at Cordoba’s historic mosque-cathedral on the night of 8 August but was swiftly extinguished, preventing damage to one of Spain’s most treasured architectural landmarks.
The Canadian government announced Friday it will join key allies in reducing the price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil in response to Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Washington, D.C., will see its federal security funding reduced by $20 million this year under a Trump administration plan, despite the president’s repeated claims that crime in the capital is spiraling.
U.S. President Donald Trump personally welcomed Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at the White House today, ahead of a historic peace signing ceremony. The meeting sets the stage for a U.S.-brokered framework aiming to stabilize relations in the South Caucasus.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment