Only some 20 percent of Rohingya refugees who have crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar have been able to get food assistance, the aid group Handicap International said on Wednesday.
“Humanitarian organisations currently have to cope with a sudden, serious and worsening crisis as nearly 2,000 people, including many children, cross the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh every day,” the group said in a release. “The needs of refugees are far from being met at the moment. Almost half are still without shelter and fewer than 20 percent have received food aid.”
The outpouring of refugees from Myanmar began on August 25 after the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militant group attacked 30 police outposts in Rakhine state. The incident led to a government crackdown and violence against the mostly-Muslim Rohingya population. To date, more than 500,000 Rohingya have sought refuge in neighboring Bangladesh.