UNHCR Commends Indonesia for Saving Rohingya Refugees
Jakarta, MINA – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Commends the Indonesian Government’s for saving 99 ethnic Rohingyas who had been stranded for days on a boat in North Aceh waters.
Of the 99 people rescued off the coast of Lhoksemauwe, North Aceh, by local residents, there are 48 women, 34 children and 17 men. The large majority are presumed to be Rohingya refugees and had been at sea in dangerous conditions for months.
“Saving human lives is always the top priority. We commend the Indonesian authorities for saving vulnerable women, children and men for safety, “said Ann Maymann, UNHCR representative in Indonesia in a press statement received by MINA, Saturday (June 27).
She also said Indonesia had several times rescued and provided humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees who were stranded among them in 2015 and 2018.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in his press statement said the decision to save the Rohingya was based on humanitarian principles.
“The refugees are in a very poor condition and very dangerous to the safety of their lives,” the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said in a press statement on Friday.
At present, the refugees are accommodated in the former Lhoksemauwe Immigration Office, Aceh. The main focus now is meeting basic needs, providing temporary shelter, and health services.
It was done by ensuring the implementation of health protocols to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus among Rohingya ethnic migrants.
The Central Government and the local Regional Government will also cooperate with UNHCR and IOM will immediately make further efforts related to the handling of 99 Rohingya ethnic migrants.
The people of North Aceh and the Indonesian Social Society are also active in providing humanitarian assistance.
The Indonesian authorities are also investigating the possibility of an element of human smuggling so that irregular migrants become victims. (R / RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
