Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization in Malaysia (MERHROM) is deeply shocked with the decision by the World Food Programme (WFP) to cut the food aid for the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar Refugee Camps. Food is the basic need and basic rights for every human being. Cutting the food aid means to further kill the Rohingya who are the survivors of Genocide back home.
The Rohingya continue suffering from the impact of Rohingya Genocide in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps and in transit countries. The Rohingya in refugee camps are already struggling for basic needs on a day-to-day basis on top of other problems in the camps. Cutting the food aid will make their situation worse. This will force them to flee the camps and there will be more Rohingya who will fall into human traffickers’ hands. There will be more women forced into prostitution and there will be more children who become forced labour.
The number of refugees, especially the children who suffered malnutrition is beyond imagination. There will be an increasing number of refugees who will suffer acute malnutrition which will lead to various health problems which will have a major impact on their physical health, mental health and well-being.
Allowing the cutting of food aid to happen is equivalent to allowing the Rohingya to die. How do we guarantee the right to live for the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar who face ongoing food insecurity. We have to follow what stipulates in the UDHR.
Recognizing cutting the food aid is a violation of basic rights, we call upon the WFP and donor agencies to halt the plan and to map out a strategy for the food sustainability program in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps to counter food insecurity for the most persecuted minority in the world. If we can have a Rooftop Garden in the modern city, why can’t we grow food in refugee camps with the current technology?
The UN agencies, WFP, UNHCR, donor agencies and countries, Bangladeshi government and the international community must find solutions to seek permanent durable solution to the survivors of Rohingya Genocide as well as the solution to address the current problem in the refugee camp including security, food insecurity and crimes.
The impact of cutting the food aid is huge. Therefore, it needs to be evaluated and examined carefully.
We would like to recommend the following:
1. United Nations, world leaders, CSO, NGO and international community to increase actions to stop the Rohingya Genocide
2. WFP and donor countries to halt the plan to cut the food aid
3. Mapping out strategies for sustainable food supply to counter food insecurity
4. Creating platforms for the Rohingya refugees to generate their income from the refugee camps
5. Allowing the Rohingya to work to support their families
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani
President
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization in Malaysia (MERHROM)
Tel No: +6016-6827 287
Email: rights4rohingya@yahoo.co.uk