Some 164,000 Rohingya refugees fled fresh violence in Myanmar: UN

The latest estimates by the United Nations show a fresh bout of violence against the Rohingya minority Muslims that erupted in Myanmar two weeks ago has forced a record number of people to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. 

 

The latest estimates by the United Nations show a fresh bout of violence against the Rohingya minority Muslims that erupted in Myanmar two weeks ago has forced a record number of people to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. 

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, confirmed Thursday that some 164,000 Rohingya Muslims had fled Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine to seek refuge in camps in Bangladesh since a harsh crackdown against them started on August 25.

The UNHCR spokeswoman, Vivian Tan, said the figure could go up further as thousands were still crossing the border.

Bangladesh has already hosted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar and the new influx has pushed refugee camps to the brink.