Rice production exceeded three and a half million tonnes. Maize production has exceeded 27 million tons. Apart from wheat due to the weather, more than one crore more potato production is in the country. Success has also been achieved in the production of vegetables and other crops. In all, Bangladesh has achieved self sufficiency in cereal grains. But the achievement of the illusion is under Rohingya pressure. Bangladesh has entered the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) food insecurity list due to Rohingyas.
In the report titled ‘Global Report on Food Crisis: Joint Analysis for Better Decision’, published on Tuesday, the FAO says about 1.44 million people in South and Southeast Asia are in intense food insecurity. Bangladesh is one of them. Myanmar, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the remaining three countries of the region, are under insecurity.
According to the organization, the reason for food insecurity in Bangladesh is mainly due to the Rohingya population of Cox’s Bazar. By analyzing the data of 1.5 million people here, they say that 13 lakh people of the district are in food insecurity with local and Rohingya people who need food assistance. Due to these people Bangladesh is at risk of food insecurity.
Former Bangladesh envoy Humayun Kabir said that due to logical reasons Bangladesh has entered the country’s list of food security countries. He told the traders that pressure may be made to meet the food demand of 10-11 lakh Rohingya refugees in the country. There is nothing to be surprised about it. But the Rohingya crisis is warning us of danger. The crisis is pulling us back. Food insecurity may not put pressure on the country’s image, but in the next days, it needs to be more careful in dealing with the situation. For this, there will be increased production of food grains, as well as the responsibility of the international community regarding Rohingyas. Diplomatic steps must be strengthened on the repatriation of Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar so safe and sustainable.
After the new Rohingya crisis began, the people of this community exceeded the local population in Cox’s Bazar. Three of the four people in Cox’s Bazar are now Rohingya. According to FAO, local Rohingya as well as local people have food insecurity.
In the year 2016, about 1.3 million people died during food insecurity in Cox’s Bazar. Various indicators of food safety indicators indicate that food security situation has improved in the Rohingya refugees at the time compared to Refugee Influence Emergency Vulnerability Assessment (RVEA) baseline in 2017.The refugee population is largely dependent on food support only about 100 percent.
Comparative analysis of the RVA survey of 2017 and August-September monitoring round data shows that 91 percent of displaced houses have the ability to sustain or improve their food intake levels.
The Rohingya situation has improved slightly but locals have deteriorated. The food security of the local population decreased significantly at the time. In the year 2017, the local population of 31 percent of the local population was based on the Poor or Borderline Food Consumption Border. In August-September of 2018, it increased to 80 percent. This situation will remain in the current year.
The United Nations agency has explained the reason for the food security situation in the district, which is causing badness. They say that, one of the poorer and fragile districts, Cox’s Bazar Due to the Rohingya settlement, many of the local poor people have lost their control in agriculture. Those who were living with forests and fish, were also deprived of this, they too are deprived of it.Many people are forced to work day-to-day due to forced labor. But due to the cheap labor of the Rohingya, the local people are not getting the job of day-laborers. Due to intense competition, daily wages have been reduced. On the contrary, the increase in the pressure of the excess population has increased the price of food, which is going beyond the purchasing power of the poor.
Former Food Secretary Abdul Latif Mondal believes that food insecurity is becoming very high because of the backwardness of purchasing power over food shortage. He said in the trader’s message that this situation prevailed among Rohingyas from Cox’s Bazar to the poorer people of the country.Food insecurity is not something new in this context. Because there is a large number of people still lacking nutritious food in the country. As far as the production of food has to be increased in this way, it is necessary to increase the supply of nutritious food. That is why the coordinated efforts are needed.
In August of 2017, after Rohingya military operations in Myanmar, the Rohingya crossed the border and came to Bangladesh. 7 lakh 30 thousand Rohingya take refuge in Cox’s Bazar.With the number of Rohingyas already being there, the number of people of this population stood three times as many as the locals. A large number of Rohingya people have made big pressures in life and livelihood of Teknaf and Ukhiaa local people.
WFP is playing the main coordinator for feeding the Rohingya who took shelter in Bangladesh. Although research has emerged at various times, food insecurity and malnutrition have become a matter of concern in Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar.Children under the age of five are suffering from severe nausea. Also, the nutritional status of pregnant and nursing women has been identified. There is no special diversity in their food. Many people are suffering from malnutrition.