A minimum of 69 Rohingya refugees, lots of them ladies and kids, landed on Indonesia’s west coast Thursday in a picket boat, an official with the United Nations refugee company stated.
The vessel got here ashore at a seashore in Indonesia’s westernmost province of Aceh, in accordance with UNHCR official Oktina Hafanti, with one passenger saying some on board died through the voyage.
It was the sixth Rohingya boat to land in Indonesia since November.
Round one million Rohingya are estimated to be residing in refugee camps in Bangladesh after they fled persecution in neighbouring Myanmar in 2017.
Hundreds threat their lives annually on lengthy and costly sea journeys — usually in poor-quality boats — making an attempt to achieve Malaysia or Indonesia.
“We at the moment depend 69 of them, together with males, ladies and kids,” Hafanti stated.
The refugees had been being transported to a short lived shelter close by, the official added.
Hafanti stated authorities would double-check the headcount after they arrived on the refuge.
In line with a passenger who gave his title as Shorifuddin, the boat departed Bangladesh two weeks in the past.
A number of folks died because of an absence of meals and the captain deserted the passengers in the course of the journey, he stated.
“We have now been struggling within the ocean for 15 days and all this time, we did not have sufficient meals,” the 15-year-old advised AFP.
He stated he fled Bangladesh with seven members of the family together with his dad and mom hoping for a greater life in Indonesia.
“We had been strongly persecuted in Bangladesh by the native folks. We additionally did not have the chance to check and obtain greater schooling,” he stated.
5 different vessels carrying Rohingya refugees landed in Indonesia in November and December final 12 months, carrying a complete of almost 700 passengers.
Greater than 2,000 are believed to have tried the dangerous journey in 2022, in accordance with the UNHCR, a quantity much like that in 2020.
The company estimated almost 200 Rohingya died or went lacking final 12 months making an attempt hazardous sea crossings.
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