10 September,2017 02:36 PM IST | Cox's Bazar | Agencies
Nearly 3,00,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state into Bangladesh in the 15 days since new violence erupted, the United Nations said on Saturday
Myanmar's government regards Rohingya as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Pic/AP
Nearly 3,00,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state into Bangladesh in the 15 days since new violence erupted, the United Nations said on Saturday. The figure has jumped about 20,000 in a day.
"Some 2,90,000 Rohingya arrived in Bangladesh since August 25," said Joseph Tripura, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency. Officials said the UN has found more Rohingya in villages and areas which were previously not included by relief agencies.
Most of the Rohingya are arriving by foot or boat across Bangladesh's border with Myanmar. The UN said there was a sharp increase in arrivals, when more than 300 boats arrived in Bangladesh. On Thursday the UN had put the number at 1,64,000.
Refugee camps near Bangladesh's border with Myanmar already had about 3 lakh Rohingya before the upsurge in violence and are now overwhelmed. The tens of thousands of new arrivals have nowhere to shelter from rains.
20K No. of Rohingya Muslims who fled Myanmar last Friday
