Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis Requires Action Now – Lives Are Being Lost

Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) | November 24, 2016

Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK is calling for urgent action from the international community to press the Myanmar government to lift all restrictions on humanitarian in Rakhine State. We are receiving alarming reports from the ground that people are slowly starving to death.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon should immediately fly to Burma to meet with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the Commander-in-Chief of the military Min Aung Hlaing and demand the immediate lifting of all restrictions on aid.

At least 160,000 Rohingya are in desperate need of food, life-saving medical assistance and other forms of aid.

Since October 9th the limited aid access that did reach Rohingya in Rakhine State has been almost entirely cut off, with humanitarian workers prevented from accessing vulnerable communities in need. On 6th November, the World Food Programme (WFP) was allowed to provide aid to people in four affected villages, however many more villages in the area have yet to receive any support.

At least 35,000 Rohingya have been displaced by attacks since the Burmese Army and security forces started security operation on 9th October.

Humanitarian organizations have not been able to access these communities and undertake a full assessment of their needs. Many remain without food, clean water, healthcare and other essential services. We have reports from the ground that the Burmese Army has been destroying food supplies in Rohingya villages, and severe restrictions on movement mean that food is not widely available in markets.

Hundreds of Rohingya people have been injured in attacks by the Burmese Army and are not receiving medical aid. People are dying from injuries as they cannot receive medical aid – again because their movement is restricted.

Hunger is one of the factors forcing Rohingya people to attempt to flee to Bangladesh, but they are being turned back at the border.

The restrictions on aid to Rohingya people in Rakhine State were unacceptable even before the new crackdown began. Diplomatic efforts to open up humanitarian access must not simply be focused on returning to the previous unacceptable situation, which was already putting people at risk.

There must be unrestricted access which is based on need.

“Unless urgent action is taken more Rohingya people will be dying from starvation than from bullets and bombs fired by the Burmese Army,” said Tun Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. “The Burmese government and military will be responsible for a slow motion massacre using hunger and disease as their weapons. Our children, pregnant women and elderly are the most vulnerable to starvation. What kind of government deliberately targets children with starvation like this and how can the international community stand by and let this happen?”

For more information please contact Tun Khin +44 7888714866.

For more details please click on the below link and read the Detailed Briefing “2016-Crackdown on Rohingya”