Rohingya refugees walks along the refugee camp during rain in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
United Nations aid agencies called on Myanmar on Wednesday to improve conditions in Rakhine state for the safe return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh and provide a clear pathway to citizenship for those eligible.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) said in a joint statement that they needed full access to Rakhine state and were still awaiting permission for international staff to be based in the town of Maungdaw following requests made on June 14.
There was no immediate response from the Myanmar authorities to a Reuters request for comment.
Bangladesh should relocate Rohingya refugees living in a “severely overcrowded” mega camp to safer ground in Cox’s Bazar, a global human rights watchdog said on Monday.“The average usable space [in the camp] is 10.7 square meters per person, compared with the recommended international standard of 45 square meters per person” the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report.Since Aug. 25, 2017, some 750,000 Rohingya, mostly children and women, have fled to bordering Bangladesh after Myanmar forces began a crackdown on the minority Muslim community, according to Amnesty International.Turkey ready to help needy worldwide during Muslim eidAt least 9,000 Rohingya were killed in Myanmar's Rakhine state from Aug. 25 to Sept. 24, 2017, said the Doctors Without Borders.In a report published last December, the global humanitarian group said the deaths of 71.7 percent or 6,700 Rohingya were caused by violence. They include 730 children below the age of 5.“Densely packed refugees are at heightened risk of communicable diseases, fires, community tensions, and domestic and sexual violence,” said the HRW.World fails to end Rohingya crisis: US OfficialBill Frelick, the refugee rights director at the HRW, said: “Bangladesh should register fleeing Rohingya as refugees, ensure adequate health care and education, and let them pursue livelihoods outside the camp.”The rights watchdog underlined that tens of thousands of Rohingya in these camps are at imminent risk of landslides. “Bangladesh authorities, with the assistance of the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies, should urgently relocate refugees to safer ground.”The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.Flooding in Myanmar leaves 12 deadThe UN has documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including of infants and young children -- brutal beatings, and disappearances committed by security personnel. In a report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity.
Relocation of Rohingya from ‘overcrowded’ camp demanded
The United Nations signed an outline deal with Myanmar in early June aimed at eventually allowing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in Bangladesh to return safely and by choice. But the secret agreement, seen by Reuters, offers no explicit guarantees of citizenship or freedom of movement throughout the country.
The U.N. agencies said that substantial progress was urgently needed in three key areas: "granting effective access in Rakhine State; ensuring freedom of movement for all communities; and addressing the root causes of the crisis".
Floods after heavy monsoon rains displaced more than 16,000 people in Myanmar, local media reported on Thursday.A total of 16,792 people were displaced by floods -- which began over the weekend in southeastern Kayin State -- as of Wednesday, the Myanmar Times reported, quoting the Department of Disaster Management.Some 10,368 people were forced to flee their homes in the state capital Hpa-an because of flood water from the Thanlwin River, it added.Flood hits over 300 Rohingya shelters in no man’s landMany evacuation centers were set up across the state to provide temporary shelters for the victims.Monsoon rains affected a large part of the Philippines, Japan and Southeast Asia this summer.In Bangladesh, the Rohingya Muslims face the risk of losing shelters due to monsoon rains and many infectious diseases due to polluted water sources.
Myanmar: Over 16,000 displaced by floods in Kayin State
More than 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar's western Rakhine state after a military crackdown that started in August last year in response to attacks by ARSA, a Rohingya armed group, on security posts.
Myanmar has rejected accusations of ethnic cleansing and dismissed most accounts of atrocities, blaming Rohingya "terrorists". It says it is ready to accept back those who fled.
The Rohingya, who regard themselves as native to Rakhine state, are widely considered as interlopers by Myanmar's Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship.
The U.N. said that Rohingya remaining in Rakhine are under local orders that severely restrict their freedom of movement, preventing them from reaching jobs, school and health care, and called for these to be lifted.