UN sounds alarm after hundreds of Rohingya die at sea
The UN refugee agency says it is "gravely concerned" about reports that more than 400 Rohingya people died recently trying to cross the sea to safety. It calls for greater international support to help those fleeing persecution in Myanmar.
The UNHCR was responding to reports that two boats carrying a total of over 500 refugees either sank or capsized off the Myanmar coast this month. An estimated 427 of them died, while only 87 survived. It says this would be this year's worst tragedy at sea involving the Muslim minority group.
Over 700,000 people fled Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh in 2016 and 2017 following military attacks. Most are now living in camps. But more and more are risking their lives to escape a dire situation by making a dangerous journey to another country.
The UN agency says the humanitarian situation is being made worse by funding cuts, including those in the United States. It warns that more people may be driven to make the hazardous attempt to cross the ocean.
The agency says it needs nearly 400 million dollars this year to help the refugees and support nearby host countries. It says only 30 percent of these funds have been collected so far.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NHK
23 minutes ago
- NHK
US-backed aid group yet to resume food distribution in Gaza
A US-backed private-sector foundation has yet to resume the distribution of food aid in the Gaza Strip. It had been scheduled to restart on Thursday. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began providing food on May 27. But local authorities say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on residents heading to distribution sites, causing casualties on a daily basis. The foundation did not provide food on Wednesday, citing maintenance work such as "improving efficiency." It said the distribution sites would not open on Thursday morning due to "maintenance and repair work." No further information has been released. The United Nations and other organizations have repeatedly criticized the foundation and called for food aid deliveries and distribution to be carried out through the UN. At a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday, a draft resolution was submitted that called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and unhindered deliveries of humanitarian aid. Fourteen of the 15 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution, but the United States vetoed it. This is the first time the US has used its veto power since President Donald Trump took office in January. The UN says Israeli troops have banned access to 82 percent of Gaza. There is growing concern that the humanitarian situation in the territory may further deteriorate.
Japan Times
3 hours ago
- Japan Times
Anger as U.S. blocks Gaza ceasefire resolution at U.N. Security Council
U.N. Security Council members criticized the United States Wednesday after it vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, which Washington said undermined ongoing diplomacy. It was the 15-member body's first vote on the situation since November, when the United States — a key Israeli ally — also blocked a text calling for an end to fighting. "Today, the United States sent a strong message by vetoing a counterproductive U.N. Security Council resolution on Gaza targeting Israel," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement after Wednesday's 14 to 1 vote. He said Washington would not support any text that "draws a false equivalence between Israel and Hamas, or disregards Israel's right to defend itself. "The United States will continue to stand with Israel at the U.N." The draft resolution had demanded "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties." It also called for the "immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups," and demanded the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Hamas, whose unprecedented attack inside Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 sparked the war, condemned the "disgraceful" U.S. veto, reiterating accusations of "genocide" in Gaza, something Israel vehemently rejects. The veto "marks a new stain on the ethical record of the United States of America," the group said in a statement, accusing Washington of "legitimizing genocide, supporting aggression, and rationalizing starvation, destruction, and mass killings." 'Moral stain' Pakistan's ambassador to the U.N. Asim Ahmad meanwhile said the failed resolution would "remain not only a moral stain on the conscience of this council, but a fateful moment of political application that will reverberate for generations." China's ambassador to the U.N. Fu Cong said: "today's vote result once again exposes that the root cause of the council's inability to quell the conflict in Gaza is the repeated obstruction by the U.S." The veto marks Washington's first such action since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January. Israel has faced mounting international pressure to end its war in Gaza. That scrutiny has increased over flailing aid distribution in Gaza, which Israel blocked for more than two months before allowing a small number of U.N. vehicles to enter in mid-May. The United Nations, which warned last month the entire population in the besieged Palestinian territory was at risk of famine, said trickle was far from enough to meet the humanitarian needs. 'Judged by history' "The Council was prevented from shouldering its responsibility, despite the fact that most of us seem to be converging on one view," said France's ambassador to the U.N. Jerome Bonnafont. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the U.N., said after the Security Council vote he would now ask the General Assembly to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire. Israel's ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon however said that the Palestinian plan to put the resolution to a vote at the General Assembly, where no country can veto it, was pointless, telling countries "don't waste more of your energy." "This resolution doesn't advance humanitarian relief and undermines it. It ignores a working system in favor of political agendas," he said. "The United Nations must return to its original purpose-promoting peace and security-and stop these performative actions," Rubio said.
Japan Times
9 hours ago
- Japan Times
Philippines' Sara Duterte questions impeachment trial under new congress
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has questioned whether her impeachment trial on charges that include a suspected plot to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can go forward when a new set of lawmakers takes office next month. Duterte said in a video of a doorstep interview Tuesday that procedural issues may arise for her trial in the Senate due to the current body adjourning next week. If the trial does go ahead in July, Duterte would face public scrutiny over her actions related to the impeachment charges, although her allies' strong performance in a May midterm election has bolstered her chances of acquittal. On Wednesday, Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, a Duterte ally, said he drafted a resolution to dismiss the impeachment against the vice president that he hopes to file in the coming days, according to an ABS-CBN News report. Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino earlier this week also called for a dismissal, saying the current Congress can't pass on its business to the next one. "If we cannot conclude the trial before June 30, 2025, we must recognize this impeachment case is functionally dismissed,' said Tolentino, who lost a bid for reelection last month. Other lawmakers, including opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros, have said, however, the impeachment trial can carry over to the next Congress. Marcos' press officer Claire Castro said at a briefing on Wednesday that the president will not meddle with the impeachment process. Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in February on seven charges that include graft, sedition and "plotting to murder or assassinate the incumbent president, the first lady, and speaker of the House of Representatives,' according to the official complaint. Duterte has denied the accusations. Marcos and Duterte ran on a successful presidential ticket in 2022, before falling out over several policy differences including a proposal to change the constitution that Duterte's camp saw as a ploy to keep Marcos in office beyond his single, six-year term. Relations reached a nadir this year after Marcos allowed the arrest of her father, ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, who awaits trial at the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity during his deadly drug war. Sara Duterte made her comments from the Netherlands, where she went to visit her father. Duterte delivers a statement following her impeachment by the lower house of Congress, in her office at Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, on Feb. 7. | REUTERS
