UN aid cut to Rohingya risks exacerbating already precarious circumstances

 

The Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh has been exacerbated by the recent cuts to food rations by the United Nations World Food Programme. 

The monthly allocation for food vouchers has been reduced from $12 to $10 per person due to a funding crisis, which has led to concerns about malnutrition and mortality rates among the refugees. 

The situation is particularly alarming given the overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions in the refugee camps, which have been further compounded by a recent fire that destroyed thousands of homes.

Some refugees are attempting to leave the camps and travel by boat to other countries, which puts their lives at risk. The UN and Bangladesh government are urging for more international aid and support to prevent the situation from worsening and to prevent a repeat of past instances where food has been used as a tool to force refugees to return to their countries of origin.