The UN agencies yesterday expressed their grave concern over the growing influx of Rohingya people to Bangladesh and feared that the total number of refugees entering the country may cross one million (10 lakh) by the end of this year if the current trend continues. According to the agencies, about 10,000-20,000 Rohingyas are entering Bangladesh through various border points fleeing atrocities by the government security forces in Myanmar  “Looking at the current trend, we are getting concerned,” Mohammed Abdiker Mohamud, director of operations and emergency at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), said at a media briefing at a hotel in the capital’s Gulshan.

UN refugee agency UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner (Operations) George Okoth-Obbo was also present at the joint UNHCR-IOM briefing. The two also extended their call for international help to resolve the crisis.

“Around 400,000 new Rohingya refugees entered into the country (Bangladesh) after August 25 last...so the country is facing a severe humanitarian crisis,” George Okoth-Obbo said.

Okoth-Obbo said on behalf of international community, UNHCR has been trying to suppress the Rohingya crisis, but the international community has to do much more to deal with the worsening situation.

Acknowledging their strong appreciation to the government and the people of Bangladesh for providing shelter to the Rohingya, Okoth-Obbo said a lot still remains to be done to ensure basic needs

of the persecuted Muslim minority who managed to escape are met.

Mohamud said the humanitarian agencies are getting concerned since the number of refugees is still rising. “Anywhere between 10,000 to 20,000 are still entering Bangladesh every day,” he said.

The response from the international community to deal with Rohingya crisis is not nearly enough, Mohamud admitted. “It is very hard to address the situation...we want to see more from the international community very quickly, not tomorrow but immediately, to help Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar,” he said.

Mohamud said every agency needs to be engaged in addressing Rohingya crisis while local responders should come forward to do so maintaining coordination with all aid agencies to provide assistance to those who fled from Myanmar.

About the registration of new Rohingyas who came to Bangladesh after fresh military crackdown on Rohingyas in Rakhine State, Okoth-Obbo said they are very delighted that registration process of new Rohingyas is underway and UNHCR will support the registration process.

He also warned that if the Rohingya crisis is not addressed properly, there will be an endemic situation for lack of basic needs, saying that there are so many children, women and tension as well.