Arakan News Agency
The United Nations on Thursday appealed for massive aid to some 400,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh as fears mounted that the number could rise unless Myanmar put an end to what critics call ethnic cleansing.
The Rohingya is fleeing a military campaign in the western state of Arakan after a series of attacks on security points and an army camp on August 25th that killed about 10 people.
The United Nations has called for a significant increase in relief operations to assist refugees and a greater response from the international community.
“We urge the international community to increase humanitarian support and assistance,” said Mohammed AbdiKer, director of operations and emergencies at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at a news conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Violence in Arakan and the departure of its Muslim Rohingya population has become the biggest pressing problem for Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate since she led the country last year.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council called on Myanmar on Wednesday to end the violence. Guterres described the violence there as ethnic cleansing.
The mainly Buddhist government of Myanmar rejects the accusations and says it targets “terrorists”.
AbdiKer refused IOM to determine the number of refugees believed to be ending in Bangladesh.
“The number could reach 600,000 or 700,000 or even a million if the situation in Myanmar does not improve,” he said.
“The most important thing is for the refugees to be able to return home safely,” said George William Okoth Obo, assistant UNHCR commissioner for operations.
“The international community must provide support to ensure their return … safe and secure,” he told a news conference.
