An estimated 270,000 Rohingya Muslims have sought refuge in Bangladesh over the past two weeks, the UN refugee agency said on Friday, announcing a dramatic jump in numbers fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar's Rakhine State.
The America based rights group, Human Rights Watch (HRW), released satellite images that showed about 450 buildings had been burned down in a Myanmar border town largely inhabited by Rohingyas.
The unexpected surge in flight of Rohingyas began on 25 August after insurgents from the community attacked security posts in Myanmar's Rakhine State. That triggered an army counteroffensive in which at least 400 people died.
Kefayat Ullah, a Rohingya who managed to escape into Bangladesh told his tragic story.
They (military) entered our house and grabbed valuables. They wanted to grab my sister-in-law. My brother tried to stop them. One of them stabbed my brother. The other two soldiers came and shot my brother.Kefayat Ullah, Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh
Kefayat crossed the border carrying the dead bodies of his brother and sister-in-law on his shoulders. Talking to AP, Kefayat broke down and said:
Why won’t my heart weep for my home? I had more than 10 acres of land. I had a house, a shop, and we left everything. Now we can’t even buy plastic to make a shelter. We can’t even eat food on a proper plate here.
The wave of refugees, many sick or wounded, has strained the resources of aid agencies and communities already helping hundreds of thousands displaced by previous waves of violence in Myanmar. Many have no shelter, and aid agencies are racing to provide clean water, sanitation and food.
Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim
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