Dhaka: A Bangladeshi government official has announce that nearly 14,000 children had lost one or both of their parents out of 320,000 refugee children from the Rohingya Muslim minority who fled to Bangladesh because of violence and forced displacement in Myanmar.
According to the Bangladesh Social Services Department, 13,751 children without one or both parents were identified in a statistic that included refugee camps on the border with Myanmar, where charities warn of a humanitarian crisis. More than 536,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly children, have fled Rakhine State since August 25.
The deputy director of the department said in a statement that the majority of Rohingya refugees reported that they lost one or both parents to the violence they were subjected to by police and army personnel in Myanmar. Others are unaware of the fate of their relatives.
He added that an orphanage would be built for unaccompanied orphans, while those who arrived without parents would receive additional assistance.
Last Friday, the UN announced a humanitarian emergency in the border area of Cox's Pazar which hosts refugees from the Rohingya because of the rapid flow of refugees, as opposed to the high demand for humanitarian aid.
The UN also confirmed that the brutal attacks against the Rohingya in Rakhine State were organized and systematic and were aimed not only at deporting them, but also to prevent them from returning to their homes.
