The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has announced that it will stop all food aid to more than a million people in Myanmar starting next month. This decision leaves families, who are already struggling with hunger and conflict, without a reliable source of food, and support. The agency desperately needs $60 million to continue its mission, but currently, it is in a funding crisis.
Myanmar's humanitarian situation has become worse since the military took control in 2021, leading to increased violence and the displacement of many people. Almost 15.2 million people which is 1/3rds of Myanmar's population are struggling to get enough to eat, with 2.3 million on the brink of starvation. The World Food Programme (WFP) has now limited its assistance to just 35,000 of the most vulnerable, including young children, pregnant women, and individuals with disabilities.
The cuts will leave close to 100,000 families without food, including Rohingya Muslims who are in camps in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. Many of these Rohingya have been living in these camps since they fled the military crackdowns years ago. The recent clashes between Myanmar’s military and armed groups have become more intense making the situation worse, forcing more families into dire straits.
The WFP has not have directly blamed U.S. policy changes for their current funding crisis, aid workers have certainly pointed out how the US's changing tune has affected their current funding shortfalls. Last year, only 40% of the humanitarian needs in Myanmar were fulfilled, and the recent freezes on foreign aid from the U.S. have disrupted other crucial programs, like providing medical care for refugees in Thailand.
The Rohingya are in a particularly tough spot. With over 600,000 people stuck in camps almost uninhabitable for humans in Myanmar and hundreds of thousands more in refugee settlements in Bangladesh, the situation is dire. Without immediate funding, millions would suffer.