
At least 10,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar, says UN
At least 10,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh in recent weeks after fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
An estimated 30,000 Rohingya, a Muslim minority living mostly in Myanmar, have been forced to leave their homes since a bloody crackdown by the army in the western state of Rakhine.
Bangladesh has stepped up patrols on the border to try to stop them from entering, but last week it said thousands had flooded into the country, many with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.
“Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could be 10,000 new arrivals in recent weeks,” said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency in Bangkok.
“The situation is fast changing and the actual number could be much higher.”
Those interviewed by AFP inside Bangladesh had horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar’s security forces.
Analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.
Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, but has also banned foreign journalists and independent investigators from accessing the area to investigate.
Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate, has faced a growing international backlash for what a UN official has said amounts to a campaign of ethnic cleansing.
On Wednesday, she vowed to work for “peace and national reconciliation”, saying her country faced many challenges, but did not mention the violence in Rakhine state.
Rohingya community leaders in Bangladesh said another 3,000 displaced Rohingya were stranded on an island in the Naf river that divides the two countries, attempting to enter Bangladesh.
“They have been stuck in the island for almost a week without sufficient food and clothes,” Abu Ghalib told AFP.

But a spokesperson for the Bangladesh border guards said the claims could not be verified as the island was not Bangladeshi territory.
Bangladesh has reinforced its border posts and deployed coast guard ships in an effort to prevent a fresh influx of refugees.
In the past two weeks, Bangladeshi border guards have prevented hundreds of boats packed with Rohingya women and children from entering the country.
Nevertheless Rohingya leaders in Bangladesh said the number of arrivals had risen this week.
But so far little or no aid has been provided for the new arrivals, with Bangladeshi authorities fearing food, medicine and shelter will encourage more to cross the border.
Shinji Kubo, who heads the UN refugee agency in Bangladesh, said the new arrivals needed “urgent” help.
“Obviously these people have come from Myanmar after terrible experiences and without any belongings. The winter is approaching. So everyone is really worried about their well being,” he said.
More than 2,30,000 Rohingya are already living in Bangladesh, most of them illegally. Among them, 32,000 are formally registered as refugees.
Tan said the UN was urging the Bangladesh government to allow the Rohingya safe haven.

“We are ready to support the government to provide effective humanitarian assistance for these individuals in need of international protection,” she said.
Violence in Rakhine -- home to the stateless ethnic group loathed by many of Myanmar’s Buddhist majority -- has surged in the last month after security forces poured into the area.
It followed a series of attacks on police posts blamed on local militants.

US export ban could hit Covid vaccine supply, says SII chief
- India’s Biological E has tied up with J&J to potentially contract manufacture up to 600 million doses of its vaccine per year.

Crackdown in Myanmar continues as UNSC prepares to discuss crisis
- The violence took place as the US announced new sanctions targeting military conglomerates after the deaths of dozens of civilian protesters.

Beijing to tighten grip on HK polls
- The changes are part of a draft decision submitted on the opening day of the week-long meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s ceremonial legislature, which will all but certainly endorse it.

China plans to help build a ‘passageway’ between Tibet and South Asia
- A brief report published by news agency Xinhua says the central government will support the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) to build the passageway.

UK detects 16 cases of new Covid-19 variant
- Public Health England (PHE) said cases of the variant known as B.1.1.318 were first identified on February 15 and it was understood to have originated in the UK.

Pandemic origin: WHO to publish report on Mar 15
- The controversy over the investigation organised by the World Health Organization and China about the origins of Covid-19 heated up as a group of scientists called for an independent probe to consider all hypotheses and nail down whether the virus came from an animal.

China plans to help build a ‘passageway’ between Tibet and South Asia

Huge number of young migrants arriving at US border poses challenge for Biden
- Biden took office promising an immigration policy more humane than that of Donald Trump, but some migrant advocacy groups say the new Democratic president's decisions are luring undocumented travelers in what amounts to a beacon effect.

WHO report on Wuhan, China mission due in mid-March: Officials

Covax vaccinations bring relief to Africans suffering from Covid-19

Twitter explores 'undo send' feature for paying users

Turkey: Sudden weather change likely cause of chopper crash

UN report shows close to 931 million tonnes of food were wasted globally in 2019

Mystery UK person with Covid variant found after 5-day hunt
