Powerful cyclone destroys 90% of Rohingya camps in Myanmar

ISTANBUL – A rights activist has said that 90% of refugee camps housing Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rakhine State have been destroyed by the recent deadly Cyclone Mocha.

In an interview with Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, Nay Say Lwin said hundreds of Rohingya have been killed and many are missing.

He said that at least 30,000 refugees have been affected by this disaster.

The powerful cyclone hit Myanmar and parts of Bangladesh last month.

The activist, who is a co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, said Myanmar’s military is not allowing international organizations access to the affected areas.

Lwin said the lack of citizenship rights also prevents the Rohingya from applying for aid.

He said the Rohingya do not have the same rights as other ethnic groups because of the lack of citizenship.

He said the military administration intentionally caused casualties by not allowing the evacuation of the Rohingya days before the cyclone.

Lwin called on the international community to help the people of Myanmar abolish military dictatorship and bring about systemic change.

In 2017, the Myanmar military’s brutal crackdown led to a mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims in the country’s northern region.

Since then, some 1.2 million Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh and live in precarious conditions in the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox Bazaar.