Mohammed still remembers the night in August 2017 when the Myanmar military set his village on fire. The gunfire, cries of panic and frantic escape marked the beginning of his life as a refugee. Nearly eight years later, he is stuck in a camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, in conditions meant for a fraction of the people it now holds.
Now as the holy month of Ramadan unfolds, a new crisis looms. “We are fasting, but we have nothing but rice to break fast with,” the 27-year-old father of two tells Service95 from Kutupalong camp. “Every day, it’s just rice and lentils. No fresh fruit or vegetables for months.”
The crisis is about to deepen. Starting next month, the World Food Programme (WFP) will slash its food rations from $12 to just $6 per person. This decision, driven by a severe funding shortfall, will exacerbate the dire conditions for the more than a million stateless Rohingya (members of a persecuted Muslim minority). WFP has made desperate attempts to secure more funding, but cost-saving measures have failed to fill the gap.
The timing of the cuts is particularly cruel. Ramadan is a time of fasting, yes, but also of nourishment, community and faith. The idea that families, already malnourished, must now endure even greater deprivation while observing their religious duties is too much to bear for Mohammed. “We got emotional when we heard the news,” says Mohammed, “Not just me, but the whole Rohingya community. We are solely dependent on food rations – it is like losing our right hand.”
The Rohingya have endured constant deprivation since being forced to flee Myanmar, where they were subjected to what the UN has called genocide. In Bangladesh, they now live in overcrowded camps and “the crisis is actually getting bigger,” says Talha Jamal, director of Islamic Relief Bangladesh, an NGO that has been supporting Rohingya by constructing homes, offering mobile health clinics and providing water and sanitation. He continues: “With the escalation of conflict in Myanmar, nearly 100,000 additional refugees have crossed into Bangladesh, further straining already limited resources.”
Aid organisations and the Bangladeshi government require $852 million to maintain essential services, Talha says, but funding has been insufficient. He explains that last year, only 56% of this target was met. In 2025, it could drop to just 40% – and children are bearing the brunt. Anowara, a mother in Cox’s Bazar, speaks of her 14-month-old daughter, Rifa, who is unable to sit, walk, or talk due to severe malnutrition. “I want my baby to smile, walk and talk,” she says. Rubeda, another Rohingya mother, recalls the terrifying moment when her daughter, Sofiba, became critically ill. “I felt helpless,” she says. Now two years old, Sofiba suffers from severe wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition. Mohammed, speaking from his home in the world’s largest refugee camp, is also deeply concerned about his children’s health: “Without proper food, they will suffer from malnutrition, dehydration and disease. We are already mentally broken because we have been forgotten by the world.”
UNICEF’s Bangladesh representative, Rana Flowers, warns that cuts to food aid jeopardise the progress made in combating child malnutrition. “Last year, we treated nearly 12,000 children for severe acute malnutrition,” she says, stressing that further cuts could lead to more deaths. In February alone, there was a 27% rise in children needing treatment.
The funding shortfall is dire, compounded by the collapse of USAID, one of the largest donors, and shifting global attention to crises like Ukraine and Gaza. “People are making impossible choices,” says Daniel Sullivan of Refugees International, an NGO which has tirelessly championed Rohingya and led a global charge to secure justice, aid and recognition. He continues: “Child marriages, human trafficking and gang recruitment all are on the rise.” These desperate survival strategies are becoming more common as food aid declines. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warns that these cuts will also push more refugees to attempt perilous sea journeys. In 2022, over 3,500 refugees tried to flee by boat, with many tragically losing their lives in the process.
Meanwhile, the situation in Cox’s Bazar is rapidly worsening, with makeshift shelters falling apart, frequent fires destroying tents and monsoon rains triggering deadly mudslides. Bangladesh has prevented the Rohingya from building permanent homes or working legally, fearing their prolonged settlement could strain resources and fuel tensions with local communities vying for jobs. The Bangladeshi government insists the camps are temporary, wary that integration could encourage further influxes. But Myanmar remains engulfed in an armed conflict that is widely seen as a civil war, following a military coup in 2021.
And yet, Mohammed remains hopeful about returning to his homeland. He says: “The same army that committed atrocities against us is still in power. We want to go back to our birthplace, but only with dignity, security and international protection.” Daniel agrees, adding that any discussion of returning is premature without addressing the crisis and ensuring safety. He also highlights broader issues: the lack of consultation with refugees and the unresolved root cause of the crisis – the genocide in Myanmar. “The US and other influential countries need to coordinate sanctions against the armed groups responsible and push for accountability,” he says, adding that, until a more lasting solution is found, easing restrictions on movement, education and employment would enable the Rohingya to become more self-sufficient.
And small steps are being taken – UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently visited the camps to draw attention to the crisis, calling the cuts “a crime” and a global conference later this year aims to secure more funding. But for families like Mohammed’s, time is running out. “I have one message for the international community, please stay with us. Please support us”, he says. “In the 21st century, why can’t the world feed us?” As Ramadan continues, the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar are not only fasting from dawn to dusk, they’re also being starved by a world that is turning its back. The question is, how long will the world continue to ignore their suffering?
