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Rohingya Exodus Intensifies: Conflict-Wounded Seek Refuge in Bangladesh Amid Escalating Myanmar Crisis
In a concerning development, an increasing number of Rohingya refugees are arriving in Bangladesh with severe conflict-related injuries, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF). This surge in wounded refugees underscores the intensifying conflict between Myanmar's military and the Arakan Army (AA) in western Rakhine State.
MSF's medical teams in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, have treated 39 individuals for conflict-related injuries, including mortar shell and gunshot wounds, within just four days leading up to August 7. Alarmingly, over 40 percent of these casualties were women and children. MSF staff noted that this influx of serious injuries is unprecedented in the past year.
Orla Murphy, MSF's country representative in Bangladesh, expressed growing concern about the conflict's impact on the Rohingya population. "It is clear that safe space for civilians in Myanmar is shrinking more each day, with people caught up in the ongoing fighting and forced to make perilous journeys to Bangladesh to seek safety," Murphy stated.
The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim minority, have long endured discrimination and ethnic violence in Rakhine State. In 2017, a brutal military crackdown, now under investigation as a genocide, forced at least 750,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. Many who remained in Myanmar continue to live in restrictive camps.
Recent months have seen an escalation in fighting as the AA, which claims to represent Rakhine's Buddhist majority and seeks autonomy, joined other armed groups opposing the military junta that seized power in February 2021. In late June, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) warned of an "intensifying genocide" in Rakhine amid fierce clashes in Maungdaw, a coastal town near the Bangladesh border with a significant Rohingya population.
Refugees arriving in Bangladesh have painted a grim picture of the situation in Rakhine. They report witnessing bombings of people attempting to flee by boat, hundreds of bodies on riverbanks, and widespread family separations. Many express fear for the survival of loved ones left behind in Myanmar.
A recent drone attack near Maungdaw reportedly killed dozens of people waiting to cross into Bangladesh, including a heavily pregnant woman and her two-year-old daughter. Both the military and the AA have blamed each other for this atrocity.
MSF emphasizes the urgent need to protect civilians caught in the crossfire. "People must not come under indiscriminate attack and should be allowed to leave for safer areas, while all those in need of vital medical care should have unhindered and sustained access to medical facilities," Murphy urged.
This ongoing crisis highlights the precarious situation of the Rohingya population, trapped between escalating violence in their homeland and the challenges of seeking refuge in neighboring countries. As the conflict in Myanmar shows no signs of abating, the international community faces mounting pressure to address this humanitarian crisis and ensure the safety and well-being of the Rohingya people.