DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh alone should not bear the burden of more than a million Rohingya refugees as United Nations agencies face challenges feeding them, a UN official said Monday. United.
Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, made the statement after a 12-day trip to Bangladesh, where he visited camps housing refugees from Myanmar. He said the international community’s response to support the refugees with the necessary funds is “grossly insufficient”.
About $876 million is needed to support the community for a year, but only 17% of that has been pledged so far, he said, calling it “outrageous” at a news conference in the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka.
“Bangladesh must not be left alone to bear the burden of the presence of refugees. These (UN) agencies should be much better supported in their work,” said De Schutter.
He said the World Food Program was forced in May to reduce the value of the monthly food stamps it distributes to each refugee from $12 to $10. It will be further reduced to $8 on June 1, he said.
“In a context where food inflation this year was around 8%, this means that in the camps the children are undernourished,” said De Schutter. “Malnutrition rates will increase. Stunting rates will increase. child in this context will be in danger.
Bangladesh has taken in more than a million refugees as Muslim Rohingyas face widespread discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where most are denied citizenship and other rights.
More than 700,000 fled to Bangladesh from late August 2017, when the Burmese army launched a “demining operation” against them following attacks by a rebel group. The security situation in Myanmar deteriorated following a military coup last year.
Bangladesh is currently working with China to initiate Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar as a pilot case. The UN said earlier it was aware of such a decision but was not a party to it.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she would not force any refugees to go to Myanmar.