JAKARTA, 22 OCT – The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) appealed to the Indonesian government to save a boat on the west coast of the country that contained more than 100 Rohingya refugees, including women and children.
The boat was about six kilometers (km) from the coast of the westernmost province of Aceh but yesterday a rescue boat pulled it as far as 1.6km.
“UNHCR urgently appealed to the authorities to ensure a rescue at sea and a safe landing for the group,” said Faisal Rahman, UNHCR’s protection associate in Indonesia.
“UNHCR and partners are ready to support and provide much-needed assistance to them,” Rahman said in a statement yesterday.
Five Rohingya were evacuated last Thursday for medical treatment at a local Indonesian hospital, he added.
According to local officials in South Aceh, one refugee died while on the boat. Yuhelmi, the spokesman for the South Aceh district told AFP last week that local residents were waiting for immigration officials to arrive before any decision on the next step was made.
Rahman said the Indonesian government is currently holding negotiations with the United Nations regarding the matter. – AFP
