World Food Day (October 16)

Today, on the occasion of World Food Day, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) would like to draw attention to the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who have been living in refugee camps in Bangladesh ever since they were driven out of Myanmar. “For the approximately one million Rohingya refugees, it was a shock that the World Food Programme cut the funds in May 2023,” explained Jasna Causevic, the STP’s expert on genocide prevention and the Responsibility to Protect. “This had catastrophic consequences – especially for women and children. Meanwhile, more than a third of the population of Myanmar are dependent on aid deliveries. More than 15 million people are suffering from food insecurity.”

Dr. Ambia Perveen, head of the European Rohingya Council, stated: “65 percent of the people in the camps are women and children. Even before, the food supplies were not enough. Now, it is especially the children, elderly people, pregnant women, and the chronically ill who are suffering. There are a lot of malnourished children under the age of five. Because of the dwindling food supplies, we have to expect an increase in crimes, child labor, child marriage, human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assaults, and prostitution. Also, people will choose dangerous ways to try and get to Malaysia or Indonesia.”

“We can only appeal to the German Federal Government to increase the aid deliveries for Myanmar to try and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe,” Causevic added. “It is a tragedy that – due to the other conflicts in the world – their suffering is forgotten. However, as long as peace in the country appears to be unattainable, we have to do everything possible to ensure that those who are affected will stay alive, so that they might regain hope some day.”

The German Federal Government should advocate for a return of the Rohingya in accordance with humanitarian principles. Also, it is necessary to improve the living conditions of internally displaced peoples. Germany should advocate for a worldwide arms embargo against the military junta – and sanctions are necessary to limit the military means of the junta without worsening the humanitarian situation of the civilian population. The UN Security Council should refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court to put an end to impunity for members of the military.