INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
For a Rohingya refugee, food rations are everything
We are not allowed to work
We are surrounded by a barbed-wire fence that stops us moving; goods are hard to bring in for trading and the few jobs there were have been
lost.So food is the resource we depend on the most
Now rations are being cut for the second time in a few months.Our dependence has only increased now we cannot work
Before, close to half the refugees could make money in some way – working for NGOs, as daily labourers or traders – but that is no
longer allowed by the Bangladesh authorities
So we have to rely on aid given by the World Food Programme (WFP)
A person lives on limited rations – $12 (£10) for a month
This is not life, just survival.Since 1 March we have been asked to live on even less – $10 – and, now again, we are told from June that
our rations will be cut to $8
The reduction of $2 brought dire consequences and hardships
It started just at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, when people normally need more food of better quality.The rations are the
same for every person regardless of age
For example, households with more small children can somehow get by – living on rice and a curry of dried fish, or no curry at all
For other households of grown family members, the ration is insufficient
They find it very difficult when it runs out before the next distribution time
They need to beg or borrow from relatives or neighbours
It continues and rations get more and more insufficient because they need to give back the borrowing monthly as well.Adults and children can
be tricked and trafficked easily
An empty stomach hinders the brain’s ability to identify risksThe news about reducing food again has caused chaos and concern among the
According to the WFP, the reduction is because of a shortfall of funds.A letter explaining the cuts has been published by the WFP
Bangladeshi camp officials informed majhis (camp community leaders) to make sure the news reaches all
The majhis announced it to the residents in their blocks after jumu’ah (Friday) prayers on 12 May
The majhis were instructed to ask the refugees not to react or create any problems
Everyone left the mosque looking confused and in despair over more hardship to come.Some even suspect it’s a premeditated plan to make
their life more miserable and create an environment to force them to return to Myanmar.It will lead to more problems and conflicts
Domestic violence increases because of tension in the home
Crime may also increase if a man can’t support his family and needs to go beyond the law because of an empty stomach
And instead of sending their children to school, more parents will send them to work, to sell vegetables or snacks in order to scrape a few
pennies that can go towards their food
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also the danger of human trafficking
Young people are leaving the camp for Malaysia or other countries because of hardship
A lack of food here will push more to take such risky journeys
Adults and children can be tricked and trafficked easily
An empty stomach hinders the brain’s ability to identify risks.We Rohingya are anxious about how long we can live under these conditions,
of less food and more restrictions, under the threat of crime and violence
Crisis and constant hardship seems to be our fate.Reducing food is worse than being jailed – even a prisoner can have two regular meals
The camp is already like a prison; refugees ache for freedom
The world has to understand our conditions and needs to act
Yasmin Ara is the founder of Rohingya Women Development Forum
This article first appeared/also appeared in theguardian.com
