Conditions in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state “are not in place to enable safe and sustainable returns” of more than 600,000 Rohingya refugees who fled violence to Bangladesh since late August, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said on Friday.
UNHCR said it had still not seen a repatriation agreement signed by the two countries on Thursday, but stressed that any returns by the ‘traumatised’ group must be safe and voluntary, reports Reuters.
Spokesman Adrian Edwards told a news briefing: “It is important that international standards apply, and we are ready to help.”
Awaiting detail of Bangladesh-Myanmar agreement on Rohingya #refugees returns. Conditions right now in Rakhine State clearly not yet ready. And many #refugees possibly too. Important that international standards apply. https://t.co/MV2T09xc4k
— Adrian Edwards (@AdrianEdwrds) November 24, 2017
