Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ refugee agency announced today that it has started distributing plastic sheeting and essential relief items to Rohingyas arriving in from Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh, as part of a massive effort to cut the time refugees spend in the open.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe latest estimate of the number of Rohingya who have arrived in Bangladesh since violence erupted in Myanmar has\u00a0crossed the half million mark<\/a>, at 501,000 as of Thursday,\u201d Andrej Mahecic, spokesperson for the Office of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ High Commissioner for Refugees (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHCR<\/a>), told reporters at today\u2019s regular press briefing in Geneva.<\/p>\n \u201cGiving the newly arrived refugees the ability to construct their own shelter, begin cooking for themselves and taking care of their families is an important first step on the road to healing,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The 2,000-acre (809 hectare) extension site on the outskirts of Kutupalong Camp in southeast Bangladesh is becoming more organized, turning into a series of communities as Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHCR and its partners supporting the Bangladesh Government deliver more emergency relief items.<\/p>\n From its $4.2 million budget, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHCR is contributing $2 million to support Bangladesh in constructing a road for easier aid delivery into Kutupalong extension site and shipping in 23 vehicles to assist aid efforts.<\/p>\n Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHCR nutrition experts estimate that approximately 18 per cent of new arrivals suffer from acute malnutrition.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is due to more than lack of food,\u201d said Mr. Mahecic. \u201cWe witness dire need for psycho-social support and counselling among refugees,\u201d he said adding that many breastfeeding mothers are \u201cseverely traumatised, sick and malnourished.\u201d<\/p>\n Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHCR is working with its partner Action Against Hunger to provide warm meals as private donors conduct ad hoc food distributions, which is also becoming more structured.<\/p>\n \u201cAs Bangladesh shoulders the full extent of this refugee crisis, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHCR calls on all countries in the region to show solidarity and do their part in keeping their borders open and protecting refugees who are fleeing discrimination, persecution and violence in Myanmar,\u201d concluded Mr. Mahecic.<\/p>\n More tragic details have emerged about\u00a0yesterdays\u2019 reports<\/a>\u00a0that Rohingya refugees died when the boat they were using to reach safety in Bangladesh capsized in the Bay of Bengal\u2019s rough seas.<\/p>\n An International Organization for Migration (IOM<\/a>)\u00a0local field team<\/a>\u00a0travelled to the scene to assist survivors and assess any further response needed. Today, they report that, having checked with police and the owner of a grocery shop located close to where the incident occurred, the total confirmed dead is now 23.<\/p>\nÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵ Migration agency reports at least 23 dead in Bay of Bengal boat tragedy<\/em><\/h5>\n
Clean water and sanitation needed<\/em><\/h5>\n