‘Reverse the cuts to food rations for Rohingyas’
UN-Myanmar expert urges member states
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews today made an urgent appeal to member states to reverse "the shameful, catastrophic cuts" to food rations for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh that began to be implemented yesterday.
"These rations cuts are a stain on the conscience of the international community," said Andrews.
"I have spoken with desperate families in the camps who have already had to cut back on essential food items due to a spike in prices. Reversing these cuts in food aid is literally a matter of life and death for Rohingya families," the special rapporteur said.
He said many UN member states have offered rhetorical support for the Rohingya but Rohingya families cannot eat political rhetoric.
"It is past time for UN member states to replace empty declarations of support with life-saving action," Andrews said.
"Unless they are quickly reversed, the impact of these cuts will be catastrophic and long-lasting," he said.
According to the expert, malnutrition and adverse health outcomes could spike in the community and the development of Rohingya children could be severely impaired.
The consequences of these cuts are likely to be carried by the Rohingya people for generations.
The UN expert issued the plea in a letter to UN member states to what could be a series of cuts in food rations for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh by the World Food Programme (WFP).
The cuts could exceed 30 percent of current allocations to Rohingya refugees.
"These cuts will be devastating for a traumatised population that is already suffering from widespread malnutrition," Andrews said.
"The impact of the already inadequate level of food support for Rohingya refugees is unconscionable: 40 percent of Rohingya children are currently suffering from stunted growth; 51 percent of Rohingya children and 41 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding Rohingya women are anemic; 45 percent of all Rohingya families in the camps are living with insufficient diets."