NarinjaraNews, January 24, 2023

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

Tain Nyo IDP camp’ information officer U Oo Soe Naingtold Narinjara that, “We have been informed that they (ICRC) have transferred all food aidmatters to WFP. So goingforward, only WFP will do the food supply”.

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

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

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

“ICRC has not completely cut off food aid, but hastransferred it to WFP. ICRCwill continue to focus on other aid issues," a reliable NGO sourcealso said. ICRC willcontinue providing food to Tain Nyo, Mya Taung, Sin Baw Kai, Myo Thit and Shwe Htee Saung IDP camps in Mrauk-UTownship 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, theMilitary Council banned the delivery of humanitarian aid to war refugee camps and IDP camps in RakhineState, causing IDPs to face food and health problems.

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

Narinjara has contacted ICRC and WFP regarding thehandover of the food aidprogram, but has not yet heard back.

Photo by WFP