UNITED NATIONS, September 12 (Sputnik) — Approximately 370,000 Rohingya civilians have sought refuge in Bangladesh since the last week of August in an attempt to flee violence in Myanmar, UN Secretary-General’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a briefing on Tuesday.
"The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says an estimated 370,000 Rohingya refugees have fled into Bangladesh since 25 August," Dujarric said. "Many of the new refugees are staying in makeshift settlements or with host communities… The government of Bangladesh has asked the UN to help establish a new camp to house the newly-arrived refugees."
Dujarric said the UN Refugee Agency chartered an airplane and delivered emergency aid to Bangladesh, including materials to create shelter and sleeping mats.
Supplies from both flights have provided aid to 25,000 refugees, but further flights are scheduled to cover the needs of 120,000 people.
In Myanmar, the government and Red Cross are also delivering assistance, but activities of UN agencies and international organizations across the country’s northern Rakhine State are mostly suspended or severely interrupted.
On August 25, Rohingya Muslim insurgents attacked security posts in Rakhine state, prompting a response from the authorities. Hundreds of people have died in the continued clashes, while thousands have been forced to flee.
