Doctors Without Borders warns of acute malnutrition crisis among Rohingya refugees
Young children will be especially vulnerable, facing both the permanent consequences of stunted growth due to malnutrition and an increased risk of illness
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have expressed concern over drastic budget cuts in aids for the Rohingya refugee community in Bangladesh.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have expressed concern over drastic budget cuts in aids for the Rohingya refugee community in Bangladesh.
As funding cuts in the humanitarian sector continue to have widespread consequences, over one million Rohingya refugees remain confined to camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
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Last week, the World Food Programme made a deeply concerning announcement that it plans to reduce food rations by half due to a lack of funding. This affects more than a million stateless people who have no legal right to work, no land, and no other means of supporting themselves, reads a press release.
"Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is extremely alarmed that such drastic cuts would further escalate the Rohingya refugee crisis, exacerbating the desperation already felt throughout the camps," reads the release.
"We have seen firsthand how extreme need in this closed environment fuels violence and increases the risk of exploitation, particularly for women and children. Many refugees fear the situation will only deteriorate," it added.
Young children will be especially vulnerable, facing both the permanent consequences of stunted growth due to malnutrition and an increased risk of illness, says Doctors Without Borders. Meanwhile, adults—many of whom are caring for children or elderly relatives—may be forced to adopt harmful coping strategies, such as reducing their own food intake to feed their families or engaging in exploitative labor to survive.
This announcement comes at a time when recent arrivals to the camps are already struggling to survive on food shared by others. Rahima, who recently fled violence in Myanmar and is now staying with relatives, said, "I feel like a burden. They share what little food they have with me." Masuda, another Rohingya woman, explained that even under the current rations, her family never has enough to eat.
The Rohingya community has been left in a state of dependency on humanitarian aid. Donors, governments, and international organizations must step up to bridge the $115.6 million funding gap.
MSF urges donors to commit emergency funds by April to secure food supplies for the refugees. Governments must expand short-term humanitarian assistance to address urgent needs, while international agencies should work closely with food security and nutrition organizations to ensure that resources are swiftly and transparently allocated.
"We recognize that mobilising these funds will be more challenging than ever, but action must be taken. Denying essential aid to a community that has been left entirely reliant on it is simply unacceptable," it says.
