UN cuts aid for Bengali refugees in Bangladesh and Indonesia
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Htet Nadi (NP News) - March 8
The United Nations has issued a warning that, starting next month, it will have to reduce food rations for around one million Bengali refugees in Bangladesh by half due to insufficient funding.
In a letter sent on March 5, the World Food Programme (WFP) stated that “critical funding shortages” are compelling them to lower the monthly food vouchers from $12.50 to $6 per individual.
The WFP's announcement comes just days ahead of a visit by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is scheduled to meet with Bengali refugees in observance of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
In addition, according to a Reuters report, the United Nations' migration agency has also reduced aid to hundreds of Bengali refugees in Indonesia. In a letter dated February 28, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced that it would no longer be able to provide healthcare and cash assistance to 925 Bengali refugees sheltering in Pekanbaru, a city in western Indonesia, starting from March 5 due to "resource constraints." However, the agency stated that some assistance would still be provided to the most vulnerable individuals.
In a statement to Reuters, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it was "complying with all legal orders" following the U.S. government's decision, which was "impacting our staff, operations, and the people we serve."
The organization emphasized its continued commitment to providing essential humanitarian aid and assured that it would keep engaging with donors and partners, including the U.S., to sustain critical services.
The decision to halt most U.S. foreign aid and dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) since President Donald Trump took office in January has caused significant turmoil in the global humanitarian sector.