Activists, Experts Condemn Cut in Food Aid for Rohingya Refugees

Activists¹, Experts Condemn² Cut in Food Aid for Rohingya Refugees

International experts and rights activists are condemning³ a second reduction in food aid to more than one million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) cut its monthly food rations⁴ for the group from $10 for each person to $8 last month. The agency said it was forced to take the action because it did not have enough money to support additional aid.

The WFP had already reduced the monthly food aid to Rohingya this year. It went down from $12 to $10 per person in March.

'Many will starve now'

The World Food Program said it was experiencing a $56 million shortfall, which led to the latest cut in rations.

Dom Scalpelli is the WFP resident representative and country director in Bangladesh. He said in a statement that the United Nations food agency was appealing for "urgent support" to be able to return to the full amount of aid as soon as possible. He said that without the full support, the refugees' nutrition, safety and security in the camps will suffer.

Abdul Kalam is a Rohingya living at Balukhali camp in Cox's Bazar. He said the latest cut is a "terrible blow" to the refugee community in Bangladesh.

"Trying to manage their families — many will starve now," he said.

Gwyn Lewis is a U.N. resident official in Bangladesh. She said last week, "We are extremely concerned that WFP has been forced to cut aid for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh."

She added that the food cuts will be especially "devastating⁵" for Rohingya women and children in the camps. "We urgently appeal for international support," Lewis said.

Rice, lentils, oil

At least 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar in 2017. They joined about 300,000 others who had fled Myanmar security forces attacks their homes and villages in earlier years.

The Bangladeshi government mostly bars the refugees from leaving their refugee camps. As a result, the Rohingya there are completely dependent on WFP food aid.

The refugees live in small, temporary shelters made of plastic and wood in very crowded conditions near the coastal⁶ city of Cox's Bazar. The refugees say that the $12 in monthly food aid that each person used to get was already very limited, as they were forced to survive on staples⁸ such as rice, lentils and oil. Most suffer from malnutrition⁹, they add.

"We are not provided with any clothing assistance from any organization," said Kalam, the refugee who lives in Balukhali camp. As a result, he told VOA, he sometimes sold his food aid to buy clothes or meat or fish for his family.

"After the food aid has been cut by one-third, we are going to face a terrible level of hardship from this month," the 42-year-old said.

Abu Jafar is another Rohingya refugee. He noted¹⁰ that aid is going down while food costs go up. "Prices of many food materials have doubled over the past three years," he said. "There is no way to escape starvation."

'Not just a matter of hunger'

Htway Lwin is a Rohingya community leader and human rights defender¹¹ who lives in Cox's Bazar. Lwin noted that "the reduction of food assistance for Rohingya refugees is not just a matter of hunger."

Lwin told VOA it would lead to increased violence and crime in the camps, including human trafficking of refugees.

"Ultimately, we are going to be forced to make unimaginable choices to survive, compromising our dignity and future. This is not the way any human being should be forced to live," Lwin said.

John Quinley is director of the human rights organization Fortify¹² Rights. The organization works among the Rohingya. He told VOA that the food aid cuts are extremely harmful, especially for children.

"There are already high levels of malnutrition in the refugee camps in Bangladesh," Quinley noted.

"Bangladesh is restricting refugees' right to work." Quinley said. "Donor¹³ governments must commit funds to Rohingya response, including ASEAN and OIC countries."

ASEAN refers to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. OIC is the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Phil Robertson is deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division. He called the situation "shocking." He said the international community broke its promise to the refugees.

"The Rohingya are increasingly stuck between a rock and a hard place as international donors¹⁴ act to wash off their hands and move on to the next tragedy," he said.

Words in This Story

resident – n. a person who resides, or lives, in a certain area or place

manage – v. to look after and make decisions about

devastating – adj. causing great damage or harm

staple⁷ – n. a commodity for which the demand is constant

commit – v. to promise or assign to some particular course or use

response – n. an act or instance of replying; an answer

stuck between a rock and a hard place – phrase in a difficult or uncomfortable position with no attractive way out

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

3 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 rations   

定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量

参考例句：

• They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
• The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。

5 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

6 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

7 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

8 staples   

n.（某国的）主要产品( staple的名词复数 )；钉书钉；U 形钉；主要部份v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The anvil onto which the staples are pressed was not assemble correctly. 订书机上的铁砧安装错位。 来自辞典例句
• I'm trying to make an analysis of the staples of his talk. 我在试行分析他的谈话的要旨。 来自辞典例句

9 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

12 fortify   

v.强化防御，为…设防；加强，强化

参考例句：

• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
• This treaty forbade the United States to fortify the canal.此条约禁止美国对运河设防。

13 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

14 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》