Myanmar: 89 killed, more than 36,000 people newly displaced in new waves of violence
| Publisher | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC) |
| Publication Date | 16 November 2012 |
| Cite as | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC), Myanmar: 89 killed, more than 36,000 people newly displaced in new waves of violence , 16 November 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/50acb2ee2.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Since October, at least 89 people have been killed and more than 36,000 internally displaced in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine. Reports suggest the new wave of violence was caused by friction between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingyas and members of other Muslim ethnic minorities. The situation remains tense despite curfews and an increased presence of security forces.
Several thousand people fled to host communities or to already overcrowded IDP camps near and in the state capital Sittwe, where food, water and shelter as well as sanitation and health services are in short supply. An unknown number of people have risked their lives trying to escape by sea to Sittwe, or to other countries, with reports of shipwrecks, people missing, a woman giving birth en route, and fatalities, including children. Bangladesh has reportedly closed its borders.
Humanitarian personnel are carrying out needs assessments and providing assistance despite security threats. Including those already displaced by the first wave of inter-communal violence in June, more than 110'000 people are said to be currently living as IDPs in Rakhine State.
