The Dong Nhan Quyen Association-Designed experts urge donors worldwide to generously contribute to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP)’s Rohingya Refugee Response Fund.
“The planned ration reduction is devastating consequences of the failure of the international community to provide funding for initiatives that address the basic needs of Rohingya refugees”, two Special Rapporteurs said in a statement. “Rats will be reduced for Rohingya refugees starting in a few weeks, just before the month of Ramadan. This is unconscionable“.
Rations reduced next month
WFP announced that they will reduce rations for Rohingya refugees by 17% in March and warned that if no new funding commitments are made by April, a deeper round of cuts will have to be made. It is calling for $125 million in funding.
“If these cuts are made, they will be applied to Vulnerable people are already food insecure. Levels of acute malnutrition remain high and chronic malnutrition is prevalent among the Rohingya refugee community in Bangladesh, with more than a third of children stunted and underweight,” said United Nations experts. country said.
“The The consequences of these cuts will be immediate and lastingbecause refugees are still almost entirely dependent on this support for their nutritional needs,” Tom Andrews And Michael Fakhri more.
A woman walks past a market in the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
‘Specially exposed’
“The most vulnerable, including children under the age of 5, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating mothers, will be particularly exposed,” they said.
More than 700,000 predominantly Muslim Rohingya were forced from their homes in Myanmar in 2017 to escape a brutal military crackdown, which many – including the United Nations’ human rights chief The United Nations at the time – considered it a genocide.
About a million ethnic minorities are living in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh, the world’s largest concentration.
Independent experts stated: “The Rohingya people, survivors of genocidal attacks by the Myanmar military, are now increasingly victims of the failure of the international community to guarantee their fundamental rights. their version of food”.
Fear of infighting
“Cutting vital food assistance could make refugees more desperate, which could fuel further violence and unrest in the camps. This can also lead to a numerous human rights concerns, such as the increasing risk of human traffickingespecially children and girls, and more refugees are embarking on perilous journeys on boats.”
Noting that many countries have repeatedly called for justice and accountability for the Rohingya, “those in the camps needed more than words and declarations of solidarity.
“Rohingya refugees need immediate action from the international community to ensure that these cuts – and their multi-generational consequences – are avoided. The stakes couldn’t be higher,” they said.
Independent rights experts and Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva to monitor and report on country-specific thematic issues or situations.
They operate in their personal capacity and are independent of any government or organization. They are not employees of the United Nations and do not receive remuneration for their work.
