UNHCR airlifts emergency relief for Rohingya refugees

The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR has begun a major airlift of emergency relief supplies for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 14 Sept 2017, 05:29 AM
Updated : 14 Sept 2017, 05:29 AM

The first flight, a chartered Boeing 777 carrying 91 tonnes of aid, landed in Dhaka at 4:30am on Tuesday, according to a UNHCR briefing. Shelter materials, jerry cans, blankets, sleeping mats and other essentials were among the relief cargo. Trucks carried the aid to the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

A second flight donated to UNHCR by the UAE is carrying 1,700 family tents and arrived at 2:15pm on Tuesday. The aid on the two flights is estimated to meet the immediate needs of some 25,000 refugees, but more flights are planned to deliver aid to a total of 120,000 refugees.

UN sources estimate that 370,000 Rohingyas have crossed the border into Bangladesh since a military crackdown began in Myanmar’s Rakhine state following militant attacks on Aug 25.

The UNHCR is operating at the Kutupalong and Nayapara refugee camps. The camp population has more than doubled since Aug 25 with more coming in. As of Tuesday the number stands at an estimated 70,000, stretching both sites to saturation point. Some of the small huts have been forced to take in as many as 15 new arrivals.

The UN says many of the new refugees have made makeshift residences or are living with the local Bangladeshi community, who are sharing their resources.

UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations George Okoth-Obbo is in Bangladesh to get an understanding of the situation and coordinate a response.

UNHCR says it is also speaking to the Bangladesh government to provide support and meet the humanitarian needs of the Rohingya refugees.