More refugees risk dangerous sea journeys from Myanmar as crisis worsens

On 11 February, the UNHCR released a press statement indicating that the intense conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State has further aggravated the situation for the Rohingya, a persecuted and stateless Muslim minority, leading to an increasing number of individuals fleeing by boat.

The following is the text of the UNHCR press release.

Since the boat he was travelling on reached a beach in East Aceh, Indonesia, a month ago, Ali, 30, has been staying at a crowded site with some 380 other stateless Rohingya refugees who risked similar sea journeys in recent months.