Dhaka, MINA – UNICEF reports a 27% spike in severe malnutrition among Rohingya refugee children in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, as funding shortages and worsening health conditions push the crisis to new levels.
More than 1 million Rohingya refugees, half of them children, are struggling with a food crisis. Malnutrition rates in the camps have reached 15%, the highest since the 2017 mass exodus. Cases of acute malnutrition surged 25% in January 2024 compared to the previous year, with an even sharper increase in February.
Beyond malnutrition, Rohingya children are also battling with cases of diarrhea, cholera, and dengue fever. The crisis has been exacerbated by repeated food ration cuts over the past two years. The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) warns that starting April 1, food aid will be slashed again from $12.50 to just $6 per person due to a lack of funding.
The Bangladesh government attributes the crisis to the decision by the U.S. President Donald Trump to shut down USAID funding, which previously covered 80% of WFP’s Rohingya aid.
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Since 2017, Bangladesh has sheltered over 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, yet a long-term solution remains uncertain.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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