Nayapara Refugee Camp, Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar
Meher Khatun lives in Nayapara Refugee Camp in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar. She has eight family members, including three children. For nearly a decade, since her husband’s death, her family has survived entirely on food aid from donor organizations. That survival has become harder. One of her sons lost his leg seven years ago after being struck by a UNHCR vehicle inside the camp. Since that day, uncertainty has never left her home.
From April 1, 2026, a new food distribution system began in the Rohingya camps of Ukhiya, Teknaf, and Bhashan Char. Under the old system, each person received aid worth $12 per month. The new system divides families into three categories: $7, $10, and $12 per month. This change has created deep anger and anxiety across all the camps.
Rohingya families fear that reduced rations will increase food insecurity, malnutrition, and safety risks. Families like Meher Khatun’s, who depend entirely on this aid, are the most affected. For them, this is not a policy change. It is a threat to survival.
“Everyone must receive equal rations without any discrimination,” Meher Khatun said. “Even before, surviving on the old ration was difficult. If it is reduced further, staying alive will become almost impossible.”
Hasina Begum faces the same crisis. She lives with seven daughters and one disabled son. Her son was recently kidnapped, tortured, and only returned after a ransom was paid. He is now physically unable to work or care for himself.
“Life inside the camp is already hard because of so many restrictions,” Hasina Begum said. “There is no opportunity to work outside. If the ration is cut, I do not know how I will keep my children alive.”
Rohingya residents across Teknaf’s camps share one demand. They want the new system cancelled. They want equal rations restored for everyone, without categories or discrimination. Many also warn that this decision could damage law and order inside the camps.
Camp In-Charge and Additional Secretary Khanjada Shahriar Bin Mannan, who oversees three camps in Teknaf, explained the change. He said the World Food Programme introduced the “needs-based” system because of a severe funding shortage.
“Approximately 17 percent of the most vulnerable people receive $7 per month,” he said. “Around 50 percent receive $10, and 33 percent receive $12. Additional support is available for female-headed households, families with disabled members, and elderly individuals. The UNHCR database is being used to identify them.”
He also confirmed that some refugees have peacefully protested the decision. In some camps, families have refused to collect their rations. However, he does not expect a major breakdown in law and order.
On April 1 and again on Thursday, Rohingya refugees held human chain protests at Camp 24 and Nayapara Refugee Camp in Teknaf. On the ground, only 10 to 12 families collected rations from camps 24 and 25. In camps 26 and 27, more than a hundred families did collect food.
The ration cut has now created a visible wave of grief, anger, and fear across Teknaf’s refugee camps. Those who work closely with these communities warn that without urgent action, this crisis could grow far beyond food alone.
