General News, 2nd prize
Rohingya Refugees Flee Into Bangladesh to Escape Ethnic Cleansing
Kevin Frayer
Getty Images
Getty Images
22 October, 2017
Rohingya refugees gather to pray at the site of a new mosque being built at the Balukhali refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Attacks on the villages of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, and the burning of their homes, led to hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing into Bangladesh on foot or by boat. Many died in the attempt. According to UNICEF, more than half of those fleeing were children. In Bangladesh, refugees were housed in existing camps and makeshift settlements. Conditions became critical; basic services came under severe pressure and, according to a Médecins Sans Frontières physician based there, most people lacked clean water, shelter and sanitation, bringing the threat of disease.
In January 2020, the International Court of Justice ordered Myanmar to take measures to protect the Rohingya community from genocide, but Myanmar says it is targeting militants, not civilians. Bangladesh has informed the UN that it will no longer accept Rohingya refugees.
Kevin Frayer
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