The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is set to overhaul food assistance for around 1.2 million Rohingya refugees living in camps in Cox’s Bazar, introducing a vulnerability-based ration system from April 2026.
Under the new approach, households will receive varying levels of support based on assessed need, replacing the current uniform system in which all refugees receive the same level of assistance.
The move marks a significant shift in humanitarian operations in the camps and has raised concerns among residents and aid observers, who warn that even minor disruptions could deepen hardship for a population already facing acute vulnerability.
At present, Rohingyas in the camps receive food support worth about $12 per person each month through electronic vouchers.
The standard food basket typically includes rice, lentils, oil, and fortified items, providing roughly 2,100 kilocalories per person per day.
However, aid workers have long highlighted concerns over limited dietary diversity and the nutritional adequacy of the assistance, particularly for children, pregnant women, and other at-risk groups.
The WFP says the revised system aims to better target resources towards the most vulnerable, though questions remain over how the changes will be implemented and whether overall assistance levels will be sufficient.
Three tiers, three realities
The new system is based on a Targeting and Prioritisation Exercise carried out in late 2025, which assessed food insecurity at the household level across the camps. It divides refugees into three categories, each receiving a different level of support.
Those classified as extremely food insecure – including child-headed households, elderly or female-led families without able-bodied earners, and people with disabilities – will receive $12 per person per month in Cox’s Bazar and $13 in Bhasan Char.
A second group, identified as highly food insecure and facing significant gaps in food consumption, will receive $10 in Cox’s Bazar and $11 in Bhasan Char.
The third category, described as food insecure but relatively more stable, will receive $7 in Cox’s Bazar and $8 in Bhasan Char.
The slightly higher allocations in Bhasan Char reflect increased logistical costs and higher commodity prices on the island.
According to WFP and Bangladeshi officials, around one-third of Rohingya refugees fall into the most vulnerable category, while half are considered moderately vulnerable and the remaining 17 per cent are classified as less vulnerable, underscoring the varied levels of food insecurity within the camps.
‘Not a cut, but a rebalancing’
Speaking to Times of Bangladesh, WFP Bangladesh spokesperson Kun Li emphasised the system is not a cost-cutting measure, but a recalibration to ensure equity and fairness.
“As the Rohingya crisis has become increasingly protracted, assistance must align with households’ actual food insecurity levels,” she said.
According to her, the initiative ensures all households still meet minimum food needs, with higher support directed to those facing the harshest barriers. Even Category 3 households, receiving $7, are considered adequately supported based on food-gap analysis.
WFP stressed that food assistance remains the backbone of the humanitarian response and must be safeguarded amid global funding pressures.
To tackle chronic nutritional gaps, the most vulnerable households will also receive an additional $3 fresh food voucher per person per month, enabling them to buy fresh food items and improve dietary diversity.
WFP continues nutrition, school feeding, and resilience programs, alongside support for host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
Voices of concern
Despite assurances, alarm bells are ringing. Bangladesh’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, Mizanur Rahman, and Rohingya activist Yunus Arman warned that the situation could deteriorate rapidly if ration values fall short in practice.
Any disruption – or perceived reduction – in food access could trigger worsening nutrition outcomes, heightened health risks, and deeper humanitarian distress across the camps, Mizanur Rahman added.
Arman, speaking from Kutupalong camp, said, “The situation in the camps is extremely fragile. Malnutrition is high, dietary diversity is very poor, and health risks are rising.”
“Thousands of Rohingya children and vulnerable adults survive on inadequate diets, and any disruption in food assistance could quickly escalate hunger and humanitarian distress,” he added.
WFP is currently the sole provider of monthly food assistance to the Rohingya population, including 150,000 new arrivals since 2024, sustained largely through donor funding under the government of Bangladesh.
