Food aid for more than a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is in danger due to a significant funding shortage for the UN World Food Programme’s (WFP) emergency response efforts in Bangladesh.
A critical funding shortfall threatens to cut monthly food assistance for over one million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the WFP announced. Rations are set to drop from US$12.50 to US$6 per person, a reduction scheduled to occur during the Eid al-Fitr holiday. The WFP is appealing for US$15 million in urgent funding to avoid the cuts in April, and a total of US$81 million to ensure continued support through 2025.
“The Rohingya refugee crisis remains one of the world’s largest and most protracted,” said Dom Scalpelli, WFP Country Director in Bangladesh. “Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh remain entirely dependent on humanitarian assistance for their survival. Any reduction in food assistance will push them deeper into hunger and force them to resort to desperate measures just to survive.”
The arrival of over 100,000 new Rohingya refugees from Myanmar is placing additional pressure on aid resources in Bangladesh, the WFP states. The agency has alerted refugees to upcoming ration cuts, which will take effect during Ramadan, a period of heightened religious observance.
WFP has already begun communicating with the Rohingya community about the potential ration cuts. This coincides with the holy month of Ramadan – a sacred period for Muslims worldwide, including for the majority of the Rohingya – observed as a time for solidarity and support.
“Now more than ever, the Rohingya need us to stand with them. These families have nowhere else to go, and WFP’s food aid is the difference between survival and despair. Immediate support is urgently needed to prevent this crisis from escalating further,” added Scalpelli.
In 2023, severe funding constraints forced WFP to reduce rations from US$12 to US$8 per person per month, leading to a sharp decline in food consumption and the worst levels of malnutrition among children since 2017 – reaching over 15 percent – above the emergency threshold. Rations were later increased when funding was received.
For a population with no legal status, no freedom of movement outside the camps, and no sustainable livelihood opportunities, further cuts will exacerbate protection and security risks. As in 2023, women and girls, in particular, may face heightened risks of exploitation, trafficking, prostitution, and domestic violence. Children may be pulled out of school and forced into child labour, while girls may be married off at a young age as families resort to desperate measures to survive.
Despite being among the most vulnerable, refugee communities worldwide frequently see the first cuts to help. The Rohingya and many other communities are left with fewer resources to live as funding shortages increase and needs keep rising.
