The United Nations has slashed funding to Rohingya refugees in Indonesia after US President Donald Trump froze foreign aid funding, according to a letter seen by AFP, people familiar with the matter and a refugee notified of the cuts.
The mostly Muslim ethnic Rohingya are heavily persecuted in Myanmar and thousands risk their lives each year on long and dangerous sea journeys to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.
Thousands of Rohingya are languishing in Indonesia with legal uncertainty as nations refuse to take them in permanently, leaving them reliant on UN support for shelter and aid.
But a letter from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) dated February 28 said support was being cut off for nearly 1,000 Rohingya refugees in Pekanbaru, a city on the western island of Sumatra.
"Regrettably, due to resource constraints, IOM is unable to provide healthcare and cash assistance support for the 925 Rohingya refugees currently still staying in Pekanbaru," read the letter signed by the IOM's deputy chief of mission.
The freeze announced in January by the United States -- the IOM's biggest donor -- has impacted the UN's humanitarian response for Rohingya refugees, leaving funds desperately needed to maintain levels of assistance, a source familiar with the matter told AFP.
The IOM said in a statement to AFP that it was "complying with all legal orders" after the US funding pause, but said it was "impacting our staff, operations and the people we serve".
Abdu Rahman, a 26-year-old Rohingya refugee in Pekanbaru told AFP that UN staff met with refugees to inform them of the cuts.
"They have informed the refugees that IOM will no longer be able to support cash allowance. That is the only support that refugees are surviving on," he said, saying the monthly stipends were around $61.24 per person.
Chris Lewa, director of Rohingya rights organisation the Arakan Project, blamed Washington for the UN nixing aid to the Rohingya. "IOM confirmed to me that this is due to US funding cuts," she said.
