“How would we survive if they reduced rations, and what would we eat? We are not allowed to work outside. We get arrested, kidnapped, or even killed if we go out to work. We starve,” said Shafika, who is one of more than 700,000 Rohingya people who ran away to Bangladesh in 2017 after Myanmar’s army attacked their villages in Rakhine state – World Food Programme, Bangladesh, 2025.
This crisis has unfolded due to significant funding shortfalls in humanitarian aid. In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, over a million Rohingya refugees live in extremely fragile conditions. In March 2025, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced that monthly food rations would be reduced from 1521 Bangladeshi taka ($12.50 per person) to 730 taka ($6), causing families living in camps, struggle to meet basic daily nutritional needs.
Major donors, including the United States, significantly decreased contributions to the Rohingya response. The WFP, which relies entirely on voluntary donations, could not maintain the full ration despite cost-saving measures. The immediate consequences are severe, families now face hunger daily, women are at heightened risk of gender-based violence (GBV) and exploitation as people grow more desperate and struggle to find basic necessities.
As a result, gender-based violence (GBV) has increased, particularly affecting women and girls. According to GBV Information Management System (GBVIMS), Q1 2025, physical assault accounts for 51% of reported cases, making it the most common form of violence Psychosocial and emotional abuse represents 23% of cases. Sexual violence, including rape and sexual assault, makes up 10% of all reported incidents. Alarmingly, intimate partner violence (IPV) accounts for 75% of cases, reflecting a 3% increase from the previous quarter, driven by resource scarcity, polygamy, and restricted access to essential services.
Fig 1: Types of GBV Reported (by %) under GBVIMS in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, GBVIMS Factsheet, Q1 2025, Cox’s Bazar, January-March 2025
Most survivors are married women, indicating heightened vulnerability in household settings. According to the Rohingya Response GBV Sub-Sector Bulletin, Q2 2025, women and girls in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps continue to face high levels of gender-based violence. The report highlights that incidents predominantly occur inside homes (89%) and during evening or night hours (41%), reflecting the domestic nature of most of the violence. The bulletin also notes rising cases of economic control, femicide, and gang-related assaults. One field report from Camp 19 describes how a woman, after having her belongings stolen, was told by local authority that “it would not have happened if she were married.” This remark reflects the deeply rooted victim-blaming attitudes and patriarchal norms that continue to undermine women’s safety and dignity. The ongoing reduction in food rations has intensified vulnerabilities, forcing women and girls into situations where they are more likely to fall victim to exploitation and abuse.
Moreover, this drastic cut has led to widespread hunger and malnutrition, with over 15% of children in the camps now suffering from malnutrition, the highest rate ever recorded. In response to these dire conditions, refugees have increasingly resorted to illicit activities such as theft, extortion, and unauthorized employment outside the camps to meet basic needs, escalating tensions with host communities and law enforcement. The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations reports that malnutrition rates among children have surged, further intensifying desperation. New Age Bangladesh notes an observable increase in camp-based crimes linked to economic hardship. It indicates that food insecurity in refugee settings often correlates with higher incidences of survival-driven offenses, including theft and smuggling. The lack of adequate nutrition and livelihood opportunities has also contributed to a sense of hopelessness and frustration among refugees, manifesting in aggressive behaviors and social unrest.
The Q2 bulletin also highlights emerging risks such as online gambling, cyber harassment, and psychological violence targeting women and girls. These new patterns reflect the broader breakdown of protection and social cohesion in the camps as economic desperation grows. Humanitarian experts warn that such conditions create an environment where GBV, trafficking, and forced marriages increase, especially as families adopt harmful coping mechanisms to survive.
According to the Joint Protection Monitoring Report (Q2 2025), there were 284 serious security incidents directly affecting 498 Rohingya refugees across all 33 camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf. These incidents included abduction/kidnapping (103), extortion (70), serious physical assault (55), recruitment (30), gunshots or suspected firearm use (14), and killing/murder/manslaughter (12). The report notes a 29 percent decrease in overall incidents and a 21 percent decrease in affected refugees compared to Q1 2025. However, abductions, recruitment, and extortion remain persistent challenges, with organized groups identified as the main perpetrators.
Fig 2: Security incidents in Rohingya refugee camps, categorized by alleged perpetrator, Joint Protection Monitoring Report Q2, April – June 2025
Despite the deteriorating situation, several proven interventions continue to mitigate risks. Community-based protection networks, with Rohingya volunteers and trained focal points, play a key role in detecting early signs of violence, mediating disputes, and referring survivors to services. Women- and girl-friendly safe spaces, run by UNFPA, BRAC, and local partners, provide psychosocial counseling, case management, and livelihoods training. Integrated service delivery, linking gender-based violence (GBV) responses with health, nutrition, and legal aid, ensures holistic care while reducing stigma. Capacity building of local actors, including training community leaders, imams, and majhis (fishermen) on protection principles, strengthens accountability and local ownership. Finally, sustained donor advocacy remains critical, as without renewed global funding, existing protection structures risk collapsing, potentially erasing years of progress.
Fig 3: Crucial steps for stakeholder safety & protection in Rohingya camps
The crisis has unfolded because of deepening aid cuts and economic desperation, which have eroded community safety and worsened gender-based violence. Evidence from recent GBV and protection monitoring shows that when food rations fall, violence, crime, and fear rise. Maintaining safety in the camps now depends not only on law-and-order responses but also on rebuilding social protection, trust, and funding flows that sustain dignity and hope for Rohingya families.
Verification Note: All data, figures, and quotations presented in this report have been cross-checked against primary sources, including official UNHCR and WFP reports, the GBVIMS Q1 2025 dataset, the Rohingya Response GBV Sub-Sector Q2 2025 Bulletin, and the Joint Protection Monitoring Q1–Q2 2025 Report. Where applicable, secondary confirmation has been obtained from reputable news sources (The Guardian, Reuters) and research briefs (XCEPT, UNFPA Bangladesh).
Afiya Ibnath Ayshi is a Security and Strategic Reporting Fellow at Bangladesh Defence Journal. She covers defence, foreign affairs, and humanitarian issues, focusing on how regional and global developments influence Bangladesh’s security and diplomacy. A graduate in English from the University of Dhaka, she brings a research-based and balanced approach to her work.