313,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh: UN

Some 313,000 Rohingya migrants have crossed the border into Bangladesh after fleeing deadly violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state, the UN office in Bangladesh announced on Monday.

In a report, the Inter-Sectoral Coordination Group said most of the new refugees, around 246,000, have been put up in temporary shelters and existing camps since an outbreak of violence on August 25, reports Efe news.

The remaining 67,000 are being housed in informal settlements, according to the report, which adds that while the flow of Rohingyas continues, it has slowed considerably.

The influx of Rohingyas to southeastern Bangladesh had steadily increased since the attacks on police and military posts by an insurgent group and Myanmar's subsequent military crackdown.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army had declared a month-long cease-fire on Saturday to allow the entry of humanitarian aid, which the Myanmar government rejected.

The latest wave of refugees comes after the Myanmar army carried out another military campaign at the end of last year following a similar insurgent attack, which triggered an exodus of more than 80,000 Rohingyas.

Before the crisis erupted, between 300,000 and 500,000 Rohingyas had been living in Bangladesh, only 32,000 of whom enjoy refugee status.

--IANS

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