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A senior UN official urged Bangladesh to allow two stranded ships with Rohingya refugees on board to land amid growing fears about their fate.
On Monday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, warned of a “human tragedy of dire proportions” unless steps are taken to help the Rohingya on ships.
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“In a spirit of solidarity and at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, I ask you in the strongest terms to open your ports and allow ships to disembark,” Bachelet said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the AFP News Agency.
“More than 500 men, women and children on board these ships have reportedly been at sea for an extended period of time, and we understand that they require urgent rescue, food, medical care and other necessary humanitarian assistance.”
The appeal was made to the government of Bangladesh after Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said the South Asian country would not accept ships.
His statement last week raised the alarm, as it came just days after dozens of Rohingyas died in a boat that waited at sea for two months before it could land.
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At least 24 Rohingya refugees stranded at sea starve (02:44) |
The two new ships are believed to be in international waters in the hope of an opportunity to reach Malaysia.
The Malaysian navy returned a ship last week and has increased patrols as it expects further attempts to smuggle people into the country.
There are a million Rohingya in camps in Bangladesh, where they found refuge after fleeing a military offensive in their home country of Myanmar in 2018.
Bachelet said that “dangerous interception practices and collective expulsions, including the rejection of vessels attempting to land, must be scrupulously avoided.”
The Bangladeshi government has yet to respond.
A coast guard spokesman said no boat had been seen since the rescue of a trawler carrying 396 hungry refugees on April 15. At least 60 people died in the boat.
Bangladesh ships and helicopters have carried out a “major search” in the Bay of Bengal for 10 days in search of the two new ships, Lt. Commander Hamidul Islam told AFP.
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