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UN: Severe acute malnutrition surges in Cox's Bazar as UNICEF warns funding shortfalls could curtail services
Summary
UNICEF reported a 27% surge in children needing treatment for severe acute malnutrition in Rohingya camps; more than 1 million Rohingya live in Cox's Bazar, over half a million are children, and without guaranteed funding critical services are at risk.
UNICEF and other UN agencies reported Tuesday that the number of children needing emergency treatment for severe acute malnutrition in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, has surged by about 27% over the past year.
The UN spokesperson said Cox's Bazar hosts roughly 1,000,000 Rohingya refugees, including more than half a million children, and that more than 15% of children in the camps are now malnourished — the highest level recorded since the mass displacement in 2017. UNICEF attributed the increase to prolonged monsoon rains last year, spikes in severe diarrhea and outbreaks of cholera and dengue, intermittent food ration cuts over the previous two years and recent arrivals fleeing violence.
UNICEF reported that it provided lifesaving treatment to nearly 12,000 children under age 5 last year, with 92% of those treated recovering. The agency said it is “determined to stay and deliver for children” but warned that without guaranteed funding critical services are at risk.
UN officials said they expect the UN secretary-general to visit Cox's Bazar over the weekend as part of a Ramadan solidarity visit, underscoring both the scale of needs and the international attention to the camps.
