Cox, Bangladesh’s Bazar – Rohingya refugees stuffed with camps in Bangladesh said they were concerned about the U.S. decision to cut food rations by half starting next month, while refugee officials said the reduction would affect the nutrition of more than one million refugees and cause “social and mental stress.”
President Donald Trump abruptly stopped most foreign aid and removed the U.S. International Development Agency, which greatly hindered the global humanitarian sector. Trump’s executive order on January 20 frozen the funds and conducted a 90-day review.
The World Food Programme, the major UN food agency, recently announced that the cuts in food rations will take effect on April 1 from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where Rohingya refugees live in dozens of camps.
Starting from late August 2017, the Myanmar military began a “liquidation operation”, with more than 700,000 Muslims Rohingya fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh. Ethnic groups face discrimination and have been deprived of citizenship and other rights in most Buddhist countries. The country has been swept by armed conflicts widely seen as civil war after a military takeover in 2021.
It is unclear whether the WFP decision is directly related to the Trump administration’s actions.
“We received a letter that (said) was $12.50 and now it’s $6. They used to get $12.50 a month, and from now on, that will greatly affect them.” Bangladesh’s additional refugee relief and repatriation commissioner Shamsud Douza told the Associated Press.
“As food is cut, they will get less nutritious food, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Social and mental stress will be created between the Rohingya people in the Rohingya community. They will have to find food options,” he said.
Duza said there are more departments with budgets that exceed food rations, but he would not say whether the cuts in WFP are related to the rollback of U.S. funds.
“Usually, after the funding is cut, the (support) of (Rohingya) responds will be less. The response has slowed down, and some people, including the Rohingya, have lost their jobs and some services have decreased. When the services available are reduced, it does not bring good results,” he said.
The Bangladesh Interim Government said the end of USDA payments would block other projects in Bangladesh, but funds for Rohingya refugees will continue to flow.
The United States has been the top donor to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, providing emergency food and nutrition assistance to the United Nations. The United States usually provides nearly half of the aid funding for humanitarian responses to the Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh, who provided about $300 million in 2024.
Fear and frustration caught refugees as news of the impending food reduction spread to the camps in Cox’s Bazar.
“I’m worried now about how I’m going to run my family because there’s no chance of income here. When I hear it, I’m scared,” said Manzur Ahmed, 40. “How will I buy rice, chili, salt, sugar and dal, not to have 700 Taka ($6) of fish, meat and vegetables? We can’t even buy (cooking) oil. How will we get them?”
Refugees say health care is also decreasing.
“When we go to the hospital, they don’t provide medication unless it’s an emergency. They only provide medication for patients in very emergency. Earlier, they would treat anyone who was feeling uncomfortable, but now they only provide treatment for people in emergency.” Dildar Begum, 32, said.
Thousands of people have lived in Bangladesh for decades, with about 70,000 crossing the border from Myanmar in 2024. During the battle with the military junta, the opposition known as the Araka army effectively took over the rakhine country, where Rohingya was displaced and occupied the shelter in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh says Rohingya refugees must return to Myanmar, which has been charged in the international genocide court against the Rohingya.
