COX‘S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) – An estimated 270,000 Rohingya have sought refuge in Bangladesh over the past two weeks, the U.N. refugee agency said on Friday, announcing a dramatic jump in numbers fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
A rights group said satellite images showed about 450 buildings had been burned down in a Myanmar border town largely inhabited by Rohingya, as part of what the Muslim minority refugees say is a concerted effort to expel them.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said the estimated number of Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh since violence erupted in Myanmar on Aug. 25 had risen from 164,000 on Thursday, after aid workers found big groups in border areas.
“We have identified more people in different areas that we were not aware of,” said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for UNHCR, while adding that there could be some double-counting.
“The numbers are so alarming – it really means that we have to step up our response and that the situation in Myanmar has to be addressed urgently.”
The latest flight of Rohingya began two weeks ago after Rohingya insurgents attacked security force posts in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. That triggered an army counteroffensive in which at least 400 people died.
The United States, a principle backer of Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government that came to power in Myanmar last year, said there had been shortcomings on the part of Myanmar security forces and the government in dealing with the situation.
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