Trafficked, exploited, married off: Rohingya children’s lives crushed by foreign aid cuts

By Kristen Gelineau, Al-Emrun Garjon, Mahmud Hossain Opu

When the U.S. dismantled key parts of its foreign aid program, AP reporter Kristen Gelineau immediately asked what it would mean for the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh. Her sources quickly confirmed her fears: the children — particularly the 600,000 who had relied on camp schools as a safe haven — were now at greater risk of trafficking, exploitation and violence.

Gelineau contacted dozens of aid workers, community advocates and UNICEF officials, uncovering a devastating, underreported trend: the aid cuts had triggered a surge in child marriages, forced labor, militant recruitment and kidnappings. She partnered with Dhaka-based videojournalist Al-Emrun Garjon and freelance photographer Mahmud Hossain Opu to travel into the camps, where they worked closely with a trusted translator to speak to children and families living through the fallout.

Together, the team followed a 13-year-old boy who now scavenges plastic from sewage to help feed his family, and spoke to child brides facing abuse after their schools closed. They also interviewed a father whose son was trafficked while trying to reach education in Malaysia.

Despite major security and logistical challenges, the team produced a powerful all-formats package that combined exclusive data, intimate storytelling and striking visuals — prompting an outpouring of reader response, including messages from those asking how they could help.

Judges praised the story’s impact, reporting depth and sensitivity — a clear example of AP’s global reporting at its best.

For delivering exclusive reporting on such a sensitive and important topic, Gelineau, Opu and Garjon win first Best of AP.