Geneva/Naypyidaw/Cox’s Bazar: More than a million people in Myanmar will lose access to life-saving food assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP) starting next month due to a severe funding shortfall, marking another major reduction in humanitarian aid by the U.N. agency.
“These cuts come just as increased conflict, displacement, and access restrictions are already sharply driving up food aid needs,” WFP stated on Friday, warning that the affected groups are entirely dependent on food assistance for survival.
As the world’s largest humanitarian organization, WFP has been facing financial constraints, forcing it to scale back operations in multiple crisis zones, including Afghanistan, parts of Africa, and refugee camps in Bangladesh—leaving millions at risk of hunger.
Myanmar has remained in a state of turmoil since the military seized power from an elected civilian government in early 2021, triggering widespread protests that evolved into a nationwide armed resistance. The ongoing conflict has severely disrupted food production and distribution, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Currently, nearly 20 million people in Myanmar require humanitarian assistance, with an estimated 15.2 million—approximately one-third of the country’s population—facing acute food insecurity, according to U.N. human rights experts.
As reported by the international news agency Reuters, a spokesman for Myanmar’s ruling junta did not respond when reached for comment on this matter.
Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited the world’s largest refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where over one million Rohingya refugees are facing severe food ration cuts. WFP-supported food aid for the Rohingya is expected to be halved to just $6 per month starting in April due to funding constraints.
“I can promise that we will do everything to avoid it,” Guterres told reporters during his visit to the camps, where refugees already endure extreme poverty. “I will be talking to all countries in the world that can support us in order to make sure that funds are made available.”
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WFP did not specify the reasons behind the funding shortfall or whether it was linked to U.S. foreign aid reductions initiated under former President Donald Trump. However, the agency stated that it requires $60 million to sustain its food assistance programs in Myanmar this year.
The cuts will affect vulnerable communities across Myanmar, including approximately 100,000 internally displaced persons, comprising Rohingya Muslims and other minority groups.
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“WFP is also deeply concerned about the upcoming lean season—from July to September—when food shortages hit hardest,” the organization said in a statement.
The conflict in Myanmar has severely impacted agricultural activities, with landmines and unexploded ordnance contaminating farmlands, while widespread displacement and forced military conscription have created severe labor shortages, further reducing local food production, U.N. human rights experts noted in a report on Thursday.
