DHAKA: Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugee families received food assistance from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre ahead of Eid Al-Fitr, Bangladeshi authorities said on Thursday.
A predominantly Muslim ethnic minority, the Rohingya have lived for centuries in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State but were stripped of their citizenship in the 1980s. Since then, many have fled to neighboring Bangladesh, with about 700,000 arriving in 2017 after a military crackdown in their native state.
Nearly 1.3 million Rohingya are currently cramped inside 33 camps in Bangladesh’s coastal Cox’s Bazar district, where they have limited access to job opportunities and education.
With international aid for the refugee community dropping since 2021, agencies have been facing difficulties in covering the costs of education, healthcare and food.
KSrelief assistance comes as the UN World Food Programme plans to cut food rations next month.
“This Saudi food aid comes in a significant amount amid ongoing fund crunch ... Supporting the Rohingya during Eid is also a meaningful initiative,” Mizanur Rahman, refugee relief and repatriation commissioner in Cox’s Bazar, told Arab News.
“More than 200,000 Rohingya will be supported by this intervention. On average, 1,500 to 2,000 families from each of the camps are receiving this food aid.”
The aid has been distributed since last week by KSrelief’s local partner, Integrated Social Development Effort Bangladesh, a non-profit dedicated to the reduction of poverty and hunger.
The packages containing staple foods such as rice, lentils and soybeans will bring some relief to many families struggling with food security, Rahman said.
“The most vulnerable families are prioritized in the selection of beneficiaries, particularly those headed by elderly people, children, people with disabilities, and widows.”
He was hopeful that more international donors would step in as the WFP’s monthly rations of $12 are going to be reduced for many Rohingya starting April 1.
The most vulnerable community members will continue to receive $12, while others will receive $10 or $7, depending on their assessed level of vulnerability.
