The Los Angeles Post
U.S. World Business Lifestyle
Today: April 16, 2025
Today: April 16, 2025

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh brace for upcoming food reductions as aid agencies cut funding

Bangladesh Rohingya Aid
March 09, 2025

COXโ€™S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) โ€” Rohingya refugees in crammed Bangladeshi camps say they are worried about a U.S. decision to cut food rations by half beginning next month, while a refugee official says the reduction will impact the nutrition of more than 1 million refugees and create โ€œsocial and mental pressure.โ€

President Donald Trump abruptly stopped most foreign aid and dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has significantly hampered the global humanitarian sector. Trump's Jan. 20 executive order froze the funding for a 90-day review.

The World Food Program, the main U.N. food agency, recently announced that cuts to food rations will take effect from April 1 in Coxโ€™s Bazar, Bangladesh, where dozens of camps are inhabited by Rohingya refugees.

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh brace for upcoming food reductions as aid agencies cut funding
Bangladesh Rohingya Aid

More than 700,000 Muslim Rohingya fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar starting in late August 2017 when Myanmar's military launched a โ€œclearance operation.โ€ The ethnic group faces discrimination and are denied citizenship and other rights in the Buddhist-majority nation. Following a miliary takeover in 2021, the country has been engulfed in an armed conflict widely seen as civil war.

It was not immediately clear if the WFP's decision was directly related to the Trump administration's action.

โ€œWe received a letter that (says) previously it was $12.50, and now it is $6. They used to get $12.50 per month, and from now $6, this will greatly affect them,โ€ Shamsud Douza, additional refugee relief and repatriation commissioner of Bangladesh, told The Associated Press.

โ€œAs the food is cut, they will get less nutritious food, which may lead to a lack of nutrition. There will be social and mental pressure created amongst the Rohingya people in their community. They will have to look for an alternative for the food,โ€ he said.

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh brace for upcoming food reductions as aid agencies cut funding
Bangladesh Rohingya Aid

Douza said there are more sectors where budgets have been cut beyond the food rations, but he would not say whether WFP cuts were related to the U.S. funding rollback.

โ€œGenerally, there will be less (support) for the (Rohingya) response after the funding cuts. The response already has been slowed, and some people, including Rohingya, have lost their jobs, and some services are reduced. It does not bring a good result when the available services get reduced,โ€ he said.

The interim Bangladesh government said the end of USAID payments would stop other projects in Bangladesh, but funding for Rohingya refugees will continue to flow.

The U.S. has been the top donor to Bangladesh for Rohingya refugees, providing the U.N. with emergency food and nutrition assistance. The U.S. usually provides almost half of the aid money spent on the humanitarian response to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, which provided about $300 million in 2024.

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh brace for upcoming food reductions as aid agencies cut funding
Bangladesh Rohingya Aid

As the news of the impending food reductions spread through the camps in Coxโ€™s Bazar, fear and frustration gripped the refugees.

โ€œI am afraid now about how I am going to run my family, as we donโ€™t have any income-generating opportunities here. I got scared when I heard it,โ€ 40-year-old Manzur Ahmed said. โ€œHow will I buy rice, chilies, salt, sugar and dal, let alone fish, meat and vegetables, with 700 taka ($6)? We wonโ€™t even be able to buy (cooking) oil. How are we going to get them?"

Medical treatment also is decreasing, refugees said.

โ€œWhen we go to the hospital, they donโ€™t provide medicines unless itโ€™s an emergency. They only provide medicines to the very emergency patients. Earlier, they would treat anyone who felt unwell, but now they only provide treatment to those who are in an emergency,โ€ 32-year-old Dildar Begum said.

Hundreds of thousands have lived in Bangladesh for decades and about 70,000 crossed the border from Myanmar in 2024. During fighting with the military junta, the opposition force known as the Arakan Army effectively took over the Rakhine state where Rohingya were displaced and took shelter in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh says Rohingya refugees must return to Myanmar, which has been accused in an international court of genocide against Rohingya.

___

Alam reported from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Related Articles

Ultraprocessed foods make up to 70% of the US food supply. How to reduce your intake Ricezempic: Is this viral weight loss trend safe? 21 tips and tricks to age gracefully Nestle CEO defends packaged food ahead of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmation
Share This

Popular

Asia|Economy|Education|Health|Science|World

Giving cash to families in poor, rural communities can help bring down child marriage rates โ€“ new research

Giving cash to families in poor, rural communities can help bring down child marriage rates โ€“ new research
Asia|Business|Economy|MidEast|US

India eyes ending import tax on US ethane and LPG in trade talks, sources say

India eyes ending import tax on US ethane and LPG in trade talks, sources say
Asia|Business|Economy|Political|World

Xi says China will stand with Southeast Asian countries in face of economic shocks

Xi says China will stand with Southeast Asian countries in face of economic shocks
Asia|Business|Economy|Political|US

Trump says he's joining Bessent and Lutnick for trade negotiations with Japanese at the White House

Trump says he's joining Bessent and Lutnick for trade negotiations with Japanese at the White House

Political

Political|US

Cory Bookerโ€™s long speech offers a strategy for Trump opponents in a fragmented media landscape

Cory Bookerโ€™s long speech offers a strategy for Trump opponents in a fragmented media landscape
Europe|Political|World

UK's top court says definition of a woman is based on biological sex and excludes transgender people

UK's top court says definition of a woman is based on biological sex and excludes transgender people
Education|Political|Sports|US

Trump administration sues Maine over participation of transgender athletes in girls sports

Trump administration sues Maine over participation of transgender athletes in girls sports
Crime|Political|US

The Latest: Trump administration sues Maine over transgender athletes in girls sports

The Latest: Trump administration sues Maine over transgender athletes in girls sports

Access this article for free.

Already have an account? Sign In