UN Calls on Indonesia to Aid Stranded Rohingya Refugees

The UN Refugee Agency urged Indonesia to rescue 150 Rohingya refugees stranded off Aceh. The refugees, found by fishermen, are in dire conditions, with two dead and others in need of medical attention. Amid rising tensions over refugee numbers, Indonesian police have arrested three individuals for human trafficking.

The United Nations' Refugee Agency has urged Indonesia to permit entry for around 150 Rohingya refugees stranded near Aceh province for nearly a week. This plea comes as Indonesian police apprehend three individuals on human trafficking charges.

According to Muhammad Jabal, a local fishing community leader, two people aboard the vessel have died while 11 others, including a pregnant woman, were taken to a nearby hospital. The boat, discovered last Thursday, prompted humanitarian concerns as children on board requested food and water, Jabal noted.

Mitra Salima Suryono, a spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency, emphasized that their primary concern is the refugees' safety, urging safe landing permission from the authorities. Last year, over 2,300 Rohingya arrived in Indonesia, but rising local frustrations pose challenges to refugee acceptance.

(With inputs from agencies.)