Rohingya Children's Hunger Crisis Worsens Amid Aid Cuts
Children living in the world’s largest refugee camp are facing the worst malnutrition levels since the 2017 mass displacement, according to Rana Flowers, UNICEF’s representative in Bangladesh. Speaking from Dhaka, she reported a sharp increase in severe acute malnutrition cases in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps, with emergency admissions rising by over 27% in March 2024 compared to February. More than 38 children under five are now receiving emergency care daily.
Preventable Deaths at Risk
Ms. Flowers warned that without urgent funding, only half of the children requiring treatment will receive it this year, leaving around 7,000 at risk of worsening health and potential fatalities. “That means babies dying,” she said.
Bangladesh currently shelters over a million Rohingya refugees, most of whom fled Myanmar following a military crackdown in 2017. Of these, roughly 500,000 are children residing in Cox’s Bazar camps.
Several crises have contributed to the rise in malnutrition, including an extended monsoon season that worsened sanitation conditions, leading to outbreaks of diarrhoea, cholera, and dengue. Meanwhile, ongoing violence in Myanmar has triggered further displacement, and food rations have continued to shrink.
Now, a global aid funding shortfall is pushing refugee families into extreme desperation.
“Food rations have reached a critical level,” Flowers stated. “The World Food Programme has warned that without immediate financial support, rations could soon be cut to less than half—just $6 per month, an amount completely inadequate for basic nutritional needs.”
Among the most vulnerable are pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, along with their infants.
Unsafe Conditions in Myanmar
According to Ms. Flowers, the Rohingya refugees cannot safely return to Myanmar. Just days ago, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described Myanmar as being in the grip of “one of the world’s worst human rights crises,” citing the military’s extreme brutality against civilians.
In Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees also lack legal work rights, making them entirely dependent on humanitarian aid.
“This humanitarian support is not optional—it’s essential,” Flowers stressed.
Later this week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will visit Bangladesh and meet Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar as part of his Ramadan solidarity trip.
Funding Cuts Threaten Aid Programs
When asked about the effect of major aid reductions from the United States, Ms. Flowers explained that while UNICEF was granted a humanitarian waiver for its nutrition program, both the waiver and funding are needed to sustain life-saving efforts.
She warned that due to the cuts, UNICEF’s malnutrition detection and treatment programs will run out of funds by June 2025.
The US State Department announced on Monday that approximately 80% of USAID’s humanitarian programs will be shut down. Ms. Flowers added that other US grants for Bangladesh have also been canceled, removing a critical quarter of UNICEF’s funding for Rohingya relief efforts.
Without new financial support, key services will be drastically reduced, endangering the survival and well-being of thousands of children.
Without funding:
– Safe water and sanitation services will deteriorate, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
– Healthcare access will shrink, leading to clinic closures and disruptions in immunizations.
– Educational programs will be halted, leaving hundreds of thousands of children without learning opportunities and hope for their future.
Ms. Flowers concluded with a warning: “Without action, these children’s survival, safety, and futures are all at risk.”
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