The UK should walk the talk on the Rohingya crisis
The United Kingdom’s funding directed towards Rohingya refugees has declined steadily over the years. Does dwindling aid point to the country’s receding interest in the plight of the Rohingyas?
The Rohingya crisis has become a multifaceted crisis and has given rise to various other crises. Unfortunately, the crisis has been overshadowed by other global events, such as the twin crises of Covid-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which have captured the attention of the global community.
As a result, funding directed towards Rohingya refugees has steadily decreased.
The United Kingdom has remained steadfast in its global commitment to delivering aid to promote international development. Since the onset of the crisis, the UK has granted funding of £330 million. However, the numbers conceal a striking fact that the funding has consistently dwindled in past years.
While the UK places high importance on other regions, the Rohingya crisis has been deprioritised. In policy documents and reports, the United Kingdom maintains a humanitarian narrative, calling for a swift resolution of the crisis. Occasionally, the United Kingdom insists that the host country take responsibility for granting educational rights. Nonetheless, the UK's stated moral responsibility is not backed by action, and dwindling aid points to the UK's receding interests in the crisis.
The pandemic-induced climate crisis has placed strains on the global economy, and countries are showing declining interest in supporting the Rohingyas. In want of funding and other logistical support, the burden of the Rohingya crisis falls squarely on Bangladesh.
Buffeted by the Covid-19 and Ukraine crisis, Bangladesh's economy is also facing stiff challenges and is increasingly stretched because of straining liabilities. Therefore, there is little fiscal room to devote more funding to support the Rohingyas.
As the funds dwindle, the challenges facing the refugees intensify in terms of shelter, sanitation facilities, livelihood opportunities, and availability of proper nutrition. In 2022, UNHCR received only $426 million, which is far below the $881 million needed to sustain the refugees. This inevitably puts increasing burdens on Bangladesh to compensate for the deficit. However, it is not viable as an economic downturn builds up in Bangladesh.
An estimated 45% of Rohingya families are deprived of a balanced diet, resulting in a high prevalence of malnutrition in the camps. Approximately 40% of Rohingya children suffer from impaired growth even before ration cuts. With the cessation of vital humanitarian support following ration cuts, families must resort to perilous strategies to cope with the escalating crisis.
This year, the UK's package for the Rohingyas totals £5.26 million. Last year, the UK granted £27.6 million for the Rohingya response, which was further supplemented by £9m, totalling £330 million of assistance since the onset of the crisis. The contributions in recent years pale in comparison with earlier contributions. In 2019, the UK offered a package of £87 million for the Rohingya crisis. In 2020, this was reduced to £47.5 million amid the ongoing pandemic emergencies.
The United Kingdom formulated an integrated review of foreign, security, defence and development policy. The document clearly states that the UK's aid will be geared towards Africa and the Indo-Pacific. The strategy stipulates that the UK will provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to vulnerable people to prevent crises and support resilience. The strategy pledged to grant £3 billion between 2022 and 2025.
Given the extent of foreign aid support, funding devoted to the Rohingya crisis is still meagre, hovering now around £5 billion. The relative negligence of the United Kingdom comes at a time when the burden of sustaining refugees has intensified in Bangladesh. The gap between funding needs and actual funding has widened in the past few years. Despite repeated pleas from the UNHCR, funding is not forthcoming – indicating the indifference of countries to the crisis.
The United Kingdom has a stake in boosting its funding for the Rohingya resolution. The country recently pivoted its foreign policy to the Indo-Pacific region and emphasised the importance of the area. The recent visit by the Indo-Pacific minister highlights the growing friendship between the two countries. The Rohingya crisis is the most pressing issue in the region. While the United Kingdom provides funds to build resilience and mitigate crises in Africa and the Middle East, its contribution to crisis mitigation in the Indo-Pacific region is still insignificant and not commensurate with the urgency of the situation.
Although the official statement maintains that the "UK remains focused on the plight of the Rohingya and strain placed on Bangladesh," the lack of substantive financial support for the maintenance of the crisis shows that the UK's commitment lacks any concrete value.
Women and children are facing overwhelming challenges in the cramped encampments of Cox's Bazar. Criminal activities and ecological emergencies threaten the sustainability of these miserable livelihoods trapped in the camps. These issues have a significant impact on the spirit of "Global Britain," which the UK promotes to expedite international development. Therefore, the United Kingdom needs to allocate more funding and exercise its diplomatic leverage to settle the protracted refugee crisis.
The author is an international affairs researcher, currently affiliated with the Central Foundation for International and Strategic Studies (CFISS).
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.