Scale of displacement across Myanmar ‘very difficult to gauge’

The United Nations refugee agency has observed that the scale of displacement across Myanmar is very difficult to gauge, warning of further internal displacement and exodus of refugees.

Andrej Mahecic, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), came up with the remarks in a statement yesterday.

Concern continues to grow as civilians in Myanmar are reportedly forced to flee both internally, and across the border into Bangladesh, amid escalating violence in Myanmar's Chin and Rakhine states, the UNHCR statement read.

More than 720,000 mostly-Muslim Rohingyas have already fled an army crackdown in Rakhine State in August 2017 and sought shelter in Bangladesh, it noted.

Andrej Mahecic in the statement expressed deep concern over the humanitarian impact of the continuing violence and the "potential for both further internal displacement and the outflow of refugees".

"As part of inter-agency efforts, UNHCR stands ready to support the humanitarian response in the affected areas in Myanmar", he said.

The 2017 military operation in Rakhine state was condemned at the time as being tantamount to genocide, by the then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UNHCR spokesperson noted.

"The scale of it is very difficult to gauge", said Mahecic, adding "We understand from some of the reports that say 200 people have sought shelter", but "without effective access in Rakhine, and without effective access in other parts, we can't assess the scope of the current internal displacement as a result of the violence which flared up some time in December last year."

The refugee agency has called on the Government of Bangladesh to continue its policy of offering shelter and support and offered to assess and respond to the needs of civilians who have arrived in the past few weeks, seeking safety from violence in Myanmar.

"UNHCR is grateful to the Government of Bangladesh for its generosity and the leadership it has shown", Mahecic said.

During a visit early in the week to the world's largest refugee camp, Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh, UNHCR Special Envoy and Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie said that it was "deeply upsetting" to meet the families who "have only known persecution and statelessness their whole lives, who speak of being 'treated like cattle'".

She also met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen in Dhaka, where she expressed UNHCR's gratitude to the Government and the people of Bangladesh for their kindness.