ICRC to hand over food aid operations for Rakhine IDPs to WFP

Narinjara News, January 24, 2023

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will stop providing food to internally displaced people (IDPs) in Rakhine State, and transfer the process to the World Food Program (WFP).

Tain Nyo IDP camp’ information officer U Oo Soe Naing told Narinjara that, “We have been informed that they (ICRC) have transferred all food aid matters to WFP. So going forward, only WFP will do the food supply”.

“In the camp, ICRC takes responsibility for all the sewage and water systems. WFP will only take over the food supply issue. So, they (ICRC) have not transferred all the support programs to the WFP, but only the food aid processes. We understand that they will continue to handle the rest of the services”, he said.

IDPs in the camp admit that they are worried about the possibilities such as food not arriving on time from WFP.

In Sin Baw Kai IDP camp, WFP has already taken over the food supply responsibilities from ICRC in the past 7 months, and each IDP in the camp receives 21000 Myanmar kyats monthly.

“ICRC has not completely cut off food aid, but has transferred it to WFP. ICRC will continue to focus on other aid issues," a reliable NGO source also said. ICRC will continue providing food to Tain Nyo, Mya Taung, Sin Baw Kai, Myo Thit and Shwe Htee Saung IDP camps in Mrauk-U Township of Rakhine State until the end of this month. But in the coming months, WFP will take over the aid program, some IDPs said.

During the resurgence of fighting in 2022, the Military Council banned the delivery of humanitarian aid to war refugee camps and IDP camps in Rakhine State, causing IDPs to face food and health problems.

The Arakan Army (AA) and the Military Council agreed to an informal ceasefire in Rakhine State on November 26th last year, allowing humanitarian aid to return in December.

Narinjara has contacted ICRC and WFP regarding the handover of the food aid program, but has not yet heard back.

Photo by WFP