Ten years ago, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees started crossing into Bangladesh to flee the violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
What's new: To mark the anniversary of Aug. 25, 2017 and safe passage back to Myanmar, refugees gathered on Sunday at Cox's Bazaar district in Bangladesh, where close to 1 million people – the largest refugee camp in the world – remain stranded. But US$50 million in funding has helped more than 325,000 girls and boys with quality education, Yasmine Sherif, executive director of Education Cannot Wait, the U.N.'s global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, said on Sunday.
Volker Türk, who heads the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed "grave alarm" on Friday over what OHCHR described as a sharply deteriorating situation across Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine State, in which hundreds of civilians are dying trying to flee the fighting. One of the deadliest attacks occurred on Aug. 5 along the Naf River bordering Bangladesh, it said, with drones used to reportedly killed dozens of people. "It remains unclear which party to the conflict was responsible," the U.N. human rights agency said.
What's next: “This month marks seven years since the military operations which drove 700,000 across the border into Bangladesh," Türk said. "Despite the world saying 'never again' we are once more witnessing killings, destruction and displacement in Rakhine. Parties to the armed conflict are issuing statements denying responsibility for attacks against the Rohingya and others, acting as though they are powerless to protect them. This stretches the bounds of credulity."
What's important: Rohingya civilians have been killed in artillery and drone attacks. Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said it has dealt with a rising number of injuries among Rohingya crossing over into Bangladesh. An armed ethnic rebel group, the Arakan Army, which has been trying to capture the town of Maungdaw from the government's ruling junta, said it was not responsible. OHCHR, however, said it has documented serious human rights violations and abuses against the Rohingya including "extrajudicial killings, some involving beheadings, abductions, forced recruitment, indiscriminate bombardments of towns and villages using drones and artillery, and arson attacks."
Who's involved: Education Cannot Wait said the more than US$50 million in funding has been delivered through a consortium of partners including government counterparts, PLAN International, Save the Children, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNICEF and other local partners. "These investments mean nutritious school meals, integrated learning opportunities, catch-up classes, and security and solace in a world gone mad," said Sherif.
The Arakan Army is one of the ethnic rebel and pro-democracy armed groups trying to oust the junta since it seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in 2021. Human rights advocates fear the recent killings in Rakhine Rohingya minority could lead to widespread crackdowns on the Rohingya like those in 2017. Around 1 million Rohingya are seeking refuge in Bangladesh.
What's happening now: Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also said the recent attacks on the Rohingya are frighteningly similar to those from seven years ago. “Rohingya in Rakhine State are enduring abuses tragically reminiscent of the military’s atrocities in 2017,” said Elaine Pearson, Human Rights Watch's Asia director. “Once again, armed forces are driving thousands of Rohingya from their homes with killings and arson, leaving them nowhere safe to turn.”
