Rakhine not ready yet

Unicef has commended the repatriation deal between Bangladesh and Myanmar but underscored that the situation in Rakhine State is not conducive yet to start repatriation.

"That is the right thing to do [repatriation deal] and Bangladesh should be commended for that. But violence is still continuing," Unicef Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth told reporters in a hotel in Dhaka last evening.

He laid emphasis on redoubling efforts before monsoon with comprehensive work to save lives in camps in Bangladesh as well as addressing security concerns in the Rakhine State. "We need to redouble our efforts." Forsyth said it would be "premature" to send back these traumatised children at this moment seeking steps to improve situation in Rakhine.

"They miss their homes back in Myanmar but they don't feel safe to go back. We couldn't sleep at night at Rakhine State but we can sleep here," he said, quoting one of the Rohingya children.

Forsyth said improved security and unimpeded humanitarian access in Myanmar are essential before Rohingya children can be sent back from Bangladesh.

He mentioned that some 58 percent of the refugees are children, many of whom are still traumatised by their experiences of violence.

The Unicef official also talked about the challenges that more than 520,000 Rohingya children living in overcrowded camps and informal settlements might face during monsoon seasons. He visited Cox's Bazar on Wednesday and yesterday to see the situation of Rohingyas.

Since late August, more than 688,000 Rohingyas have arrived in Cox's Bazar alone, marking the largest mass refugee movement in the region in decades.