More than one million people living in the world s largest refugee camp are facing impending food shortages as the United Nations warns of cuts to humanitarian aid. The situation is especially dire at the Cox Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh, where the food rations for April 2025 are set to fall to alarming levels: around 18 pounds of rice, two pounds of lentils, one liter of cooking oil, and just a fistful of salt per person for the entire month.
This alarming development follows the freeze on aid initiated under the Trump administration, overwhelming the humanitarian response during one of the most intense periods of conflict and crisis globally. Other nations, particularly within Europe, are also reducing their humanitarian assistance as they focus on bolstering military spending amid rising tensions due to Russia's aggression. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres pointedly remarked on March 14, 2025, during his visit to the Rohingya camp, noting the world is teetering on the verge of the verge of a deep humanitarian crisis.
With the announced cuts in financial assistance, we are facing the dramatic risk of having only 40 percent in 2025 of the resources available for humanitarian aid in 2024, Guterres advised the gathered crowd of Rohingya refugees. That would be an unmitigated disaster. People will suffer, and people will die.
This desperate situation has unique characteristics, as the Rohingya are the world s largest stateless population, having fled Myanmar due to systematic ethnic cleansing. The camp, with its collection of bamboo and tarp huts, houses more than one million asylum seekers who are completely reliant on humanitarian aid, having little opportunity to work or integrate outside the camp.
The consequences of the funding cuts threaten to disrupt not only food rationing but also access to education, medical care, and sanitation services. Guterres stated, Cox Bazar is ground zero for the impact of budget cuts on people in desperate need. Here it is clear budget reductions are not about numbers on a balance sheet. Funding cuts have dramatic human costs.
Child malnutrition rates are especially alarming, with more than 15 percent of children at the camp suffering from acute malnutrition, according to U.N. statistics, marking the highest levels recorded since the massive influx of refugees began in 2017. Tragically, before these new cuts, individuals were already surviving on about $12.50 per month.
From previous funding shortfalls, monthly allowances had dropped to $8, resulting in spiraling crime and extreme distress among the camp's inhabitants, with many resorting to perilous boat journeys to escape their unbearable conditions. Dom Scallpelli, the Bangladesh Country Director for the World Food Program, noted, If you give only this, [the $6 food basket] is not a survival ration.
With recent developments, the United States has finally yielded to send rice, beans, and oil as part of its previously unfrozen contributions to address the situation. Scallpelli expressed gratitude, stating, At least we are thankful to the U.S. for this. Nevertheless, cash contributions from the United States, which sent about $300 million to the Rohingya response fund last year, remain halted.
Abul Osman, 23, who fled Myanmar and arrived at Cox Bazar back in 2017, stated, The slashing of rations would be devastating for our population since there are no options to earn a living here. Pregnant women and children will suffer the most from dire food shortages, but the psychological toll will affect everyone.
During Guterres' visit, he joined Bangladesh's interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, at Iftar, a communal breaking of fast meal for 100,000 Rohingya refugees. Tragically, this event took a fatal turn when at least one refugee man died and five others were injured as attendees rushed to the tables.
Besides the urgent focus on food shortages, aid officials express concerns over the cuts affecting all sectors of humanitarian assistance. The Cox Bazar camp is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods and has suffered from deteriorated living conditions. Sumbul Rizvi, head of the U.N.'s refugee agency for Bangladesh, highlighted the urgent need for shelter repairs before the monsoon season, typically starting in June, stating, Up to half of the shelters require fixing and renovation to counter the extreme weather.
This precarious situation is compounded by U.S. policies toward humanitarian aid. An email surfaced, authored by Peter Marocco, the acting USAID deputy administrator, on February 16, 2025, which outlined plans to phase out aid for the Rohingya, indicating he believed the U.S. should lessen its support to populations like the Rohingya, promoting instead dependency on gratitude from recipients.
This tightening belt on humanitarian aid affects those the U.S. has deemed dependent on America s assistance. A source who confirmed the authenticity of Marocco's email pointed out his lack of conviction about the need for more aid to the Rohingya and Lebanon. Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, stated recently, More than 80 percent of all USAID programs have been canceled, raising concerns over the effectiveness of long-standing support structures.
Essential services and life-saving medicines will be at risk if funding is not secured, putting more than 1 million people at severe risk. The U.S. has historically provided substantial funding, contributing close to $2.4 billion since 2017, underscoring the scale of potential losses as programs are dialed back.
The urgency of the Rohingya plight cannot be understated; not only is survival at stake, but the integrity of humanitarian programs globally depends upon timely interventions. If not addressed, the looming funding cuts and policy shifts could doom vulnerable populations to unprecedented suffering and deprivation.