The 396 surviving refugees, who were mostly women and children, had set sail in a fishing trawler from the camps in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh in mid-February. “They were at sea for about two months and were starving,” said Bangladesh coastguard spokesman Lieutenant Shah Zia Rahman. In early April, a boat was intercepted off the coast of the Malaysian island of Langkawi, carrying around 200 Rohingya, mainly women and children. Malaysia, which is a Muslim-majority country and has a large Rohingya community, is a popular destination. “Many young and ambitious Rohingya refugees feel that in Bangladesh they face a grim future,” said Hossain.

Source: The Guardian April 16, 2020 00:37 UTC