COX’S BAZAR – The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a new “targeting and prioritization” mechanism for distributing general food assistance to Rohingya refugees in the Cox’s Bazar camps and Bhasan Char Island, effective April 2026.
The initiative restructures financial support away from uniform distribution, tying aid instead to each household’s specific level of food insecurity. Under the new framework, refugees are categorized into three distinct tiers with variable monthly allowances per person:
- Severe Food Insecurity: $12
- High Food Insecurity: $10
- Food Insecurity: $7
To address disputes over allocated amounts, the program has established official grievance channels through “Joint Assistance Booths” to review and reassess cases upon request.
According to the WFP, the shift aims to ensure resources reach the families most in need, safeguarding baseline nutritional requirements amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The restructuring comes as refugees remain almost entirely dependent on humanitarian assistance for food, shelter, and healthcare due to a lack of legal employment opportunities and strict movement restrictions within the camps. In recent years, relief operations have faced recurring international funding shortages, severely impacting the volume of food assistance delivered to camp residents.
UN agencies have warned of worsening food insecurity and malnutrition rates, particularly among children and women, amid global economic pressures and declining donor pledges.
Bangladesh currently hosts 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, which the United Nations classifies as the world’s largest refugee camp. Additionally, tens of thousands of refugees have been relocated to Bhasan Char Island in the Bay of Bengal, where Bangladeshi authorities established residential facilities to ease pressure on the Cox’s Bazar camps.
The Rohingya population has endured severe humanitarian conditions since fleeing Myanmar in 2017 because of the “genocide” campaign launched by Myanmar authorities against them.
