At least seven people were killed and 20 injured by gunmen in an attack on an Islamic seminary in Bangladesh's Rohingya refugee camp on Friday, raising tensions in settlements after the recent shooting of a community leader.

Bangladesh: Tensions continue to escalate after killing of a prominent Rohingya community leader

Bangladesh is set to move a second batch of Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar to the remote island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal this month, officials said on Sunday, despite calls by rights groups not to carry out further relocations.

Bangladesh set to move second batch of Rohingya refugees

Bangladesh is under renewed pressure from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to issue Bangladeshi passports to 54,000 Rohingyas living in that country for decades.

Rohingya in Saudi fear deportation: Dhaka and Riyadh in dispute over Rohingya

<p>A UN Special Rapporteur on human rights visited on Thursday an island off Bangladesh where Dhaka aims to move Rohingya refugees despite worries it will be vulnerable to extreme weather.</p>

<p>Some 750,000 Muslim Rohingyas flooded into Bangladesh in late 2017 after an offensive by Myanmar's military that the United Nations has said could have amounted to genocide, joining 250,000 already there.</p>

<p>Bangladesh is spending USD 280 million transforming Bhashan Char, a muddy silt islet that only emerged from the sea two decades ago, into a camp for some of the refugees.</p>

<p>But the island, in a coastal region where the weather has killed hundreds of thousands of people in recent decades, is one hour by boat from the nearest land over a stretch of sea prone to violent storms.</p>

<p>Some of the Rohingya themselves, living in overcrowded and squalid camps in southeastern Bangladesh border district of Cox's Bazar, have expressed unease about moving, while the UN has insisted that any relocation must be voluntary.</p>

<p>Yanghee Lee, the UN rapporteur, visited the island by helicopter accompanied by Bangladeshi foreign ministry officials and was due to inspect the shelters and facilities being built there.</p>

<p>Lee, on a visit also taking in Myanmar's other neighbour Thailand, issued no statement but she was due to give a news conference in Dhaka on Friday, the UN said.</p>

<p>Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen this week said Dhaka was not hiding anything in the island and they would take all interested diplomats once construction work is completed.</p>

<p>"We're very open. We're not in any hide-and-seek. Let's finish the work first," he said.</p>

<p>Plans for the island camp were first floated in 2015 and Bangladesh previously wanted to start moving refugees from to the island last June before the monsoon season began.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was then slated to open the new settlement, built to house 100,000 refugees but behind schedule, last October, but the inauguration was postponed.</p>

<p>A senior disaster management official told AFP in September that nearly three-quarters of the project was complete, with the navy fast-tracking construction of shelters and evacuation centres.</p>

<p>Local authorities have been seeking to reassure refugees that they will be safe on the island, which is off-limits to the public and to the media.</p>

<p>Local officials have pointed to a newly-constructed three-metre embankment around the island they say will keep out tidal surges in the event of a cyclone.&nbsp;</p>


A UN Special Rapporteur on human rights visited on Thursday an island off Bangladesh where Dhaka aims to move Rohingya refugees despite worries it will be vulnerable to extreme weather.

A UN Special Rapporteur on human rights visited on Thursday an island off Bangladesh where Dhaka aims to move Rohingya refugees despite worries it will be vulnerable to extreme weather. Some 750,000 Muslim Rohingyas flooded into Bangladesh in late 2017 after an offensive by Myanmar's military that the United Nations has said could have amounted to genocide, joining 250,000 already there. Bangladesh is spending USD 280 million transforming Bhashan Char, a muddy silt islet that only emerged from the sea two decades ago, into a camp for some of the refugees. But the island, in a coastal region where the weather has killed hundreds of thousands of people in recent decades, is one hour by boat from the nearest land over a stretch of sea prone to violent storms. Some of the Rohingya themselves, living in overcrowded and squalid camps in southeastern Bangladesh border district of Cox's Bazar, have expressed unease about moving, while the UN has insisted that any relocation must be voluntary. Yanghee Lee, the UN rapporteur, visited the island by helicopter accompanied by Bangladeshi foreign ministry officials and was due to inspect the shelters and facilities being built there. Lee, on a visit also taking in Myanmar's other neighbour Thailand, issued no statement but she was due to give a news conference in Dhaka on Friday, the UN said. Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen this week said Dhaka was not hiding anything in the island and they would take all interested diplomats once construction work is completed. "We're very open. We're not in any hide-and-seek. Let's finish the work first," he said. Plans for the island camp were first floated in 2015 and Bangladesh previously wanted to start moving refugees from to the island last June before the monsoon season began. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was then slated to open the new settlement, built to house 100,000 refugees but behind schedule, last October, but the inauguration was postponed. A senior disaster management official told AFP in September that nearly three-quarters of the project was complete, with the navy fast-tracking construction of shelters and evacuation centres. Local authorities have been seeking to reassure refugees that they will be safe on the island, which is off-limits to the public and to the media. Local officials have pointed to a newly-constructed three-metre embankment around the island they say will keep out tidal surges in the event of a cyclone.

UN expert visits Bangladesh Rohingya 'relocation' island

<p>Priyanka Chopra never fails to make a statement -- be it in her personal choices or professional commitments. As a global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights, the globetrotter is currently in Dhaka, Bangladesh spreading warmth among the displaced kids and their families as is visible in pictures shared by her on her Instagram page.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dressed modestly with a headcover in most photos, Priyanka feeds nutrient-rich UNICEF provided food supplement to malnourished Rohingya refugee kids as their mothers and other UNICEF volunteers look on. In others, she engages with the kids as she plays with them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Priyanka had earlier posted about the start of the Bangladesh journey as she insisted that world deals with empathy and wrote: “Follow my Instagram to share my experiences as I visit the Rohingya refugee camps on this Unicef field visit. Children uprooted, the world needs to care. We need to care.”</p>

<p>It has been more than a decade for Priyanka to be associated with UNICEF as she promotes causes such as environment, health and education and women’s rights among many others. Last year, Priyanka had met Syrian refugee children in Jordan.</p>

<p><em>Priyanka with Rohingya refugee kids in Bangladesh:&nbsp;</em></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjIb4wAD6jA/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF border:0 border-radius:3px box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15) margin: 1px max-width:658px padding:0 width:99.375% width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px) width:calc(100% - 2px)">
<div style="padding:8px">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8 line-height:0 margin-top:40px padding:50% 0 text-align:center width:100%">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/pngbase64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) display:block height:44px margin:0 auto -44px position:relative top:-22px width:44px">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0 padding:0 4px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjIb4wAD6jA/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">This is little Shohida (8 months old), who stole my heart with her infectious smile. It’s a poignant reminder of the dichotomy of life...here she was getting all the help she needed, when just a few months before, her mother, Alada (who was only 19 years old at the time) walked for 15 days, while 6 months pregnant with her ,to get across the border. It shows us that there is hope left in this world. When you’re dealing with a mass exodus of thousands of people, who have been displaced from their homes and are desperate for refuge, the need for proper health and nutrition takes center stage...especially for women and children. On the various Unicef Field Visits I have taken, I am always surprised by the simple yet effective solutions that @unicef and their partners develop to deal with the most dire and pressing situations and issues. This is something I experienced again today during my visit to the Nutrition Centre at the Jamtoli camp in Cox’s Bazar. More than 60,000 babies have been born in the camps over the past 8 months, so this center is an essential resource for new mothers to learn about proper feeding and nutrition. It all begins with the MUAC, a process where the child’s middle upper arm is measured to ascertain their nutrition level. From there, aids create a program for the child and a nutrient rich, ready-to-eat peanut paste is portioned out for each child based on the severity of malnutrition. At the Center mother’s are also taught basic hygiene and good health practices when they are in their homes. The world needs to care. We need to care. Please lend your support at www.supportunicef.org #childrenuprooted @unicef @unicefbangladesh</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/priyankachopra/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Priyanka Chopra</a> (@priyankachopra) on <time datetime="2018-05-23T19:32:39+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">May 23, 2018 at 12:32pm PDT</time></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjIVj8dD2lE/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF border:0 border-radius:3px box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15) margin: 1px max-width:658px padding:0 width:99.375% width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px) width:calc(100% - 2px)">
<div style="padding:8px">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8 line-height:0 margin-top:40px padding:50% 0 text-align:center width:100%">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/pngbase64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) display:block height:44px margin:0 auto -44px position:relative top:-22px width:44px">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0 padding:0 4px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjIVj8dD2lE/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">As I walk into the Women Friendly Space at the Jamtoli Camp, I am instantly struck by a certain calmness. These camps are loud & crowded, actually overcrowded, and so to find a quiet oasis, in this case a small hut with a tarp roof and thatched bamboo walls, is surprising. But for the girls in this camp, this is what they call their “house of peace.” It’s a place they can come and just be. A place to interact with friends, seek counselling, learn about hygiene, or learn life skills like art and music. There are approx 50 Women Friendly Spaces in the camps, just like this one, that on any given day see 50-70 Rohingya girls seeking these safe havens. The centers open at 9am, but there is seldom a day when the women aren’t lined up early, waiting for the doors to open. It is here that I met three 18 year old young women, in particular, who’s stories really shook me - their names have been omitted to protect their identities. They recounted lives of pain and suffering so horrifying...it’s difficult to fathom. One scarred with memories of houses in her village being burned - she and her parents traveled for two days to get here, passing hundreds of decapitated and dismembered bodies along the way. Another shared stories of young girls being pulled from their homes to be raped and tortured. They even tried to kill her and cut her with a knife, but she fought back. How did you manage to be so brave, I asked her...she replied, “If you’re born you will die, so I’m not scared of dying today.” In what world is it normal for an 18 year old girl to have this perspective on life?! The third young woman traveled for nearly two weeks on foot through the forest, where her youngest brother died along the way. There was lots of rape and torture back home she told me, and some women’s breasts were even cut off. While their lives are safer now, they are all still struggling. They know that with an education they can get a job and create better lives for their family, like buying protein for their meals, and clean drinking water. It’s literally as basic as that. Please help however you can, no donation is too small...go to www.supportunicef.org #childrenuprooted @unicef</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/priyankachopra/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Priyanka Chopra</a> (@priyankachopra) on <time datetime="2018-05-23T18:37:22+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">May 23, 2018 at 11:37am PDT</time></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjFQbxXAXES/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF border:0 border-radius:3px box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15) margin: 1px max-width:658px padding:0 width:99.375% width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px) width:calc(100% - 2px)">
<div style="padding:8px">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8 line-height:0 margin-top:40px padding:50% 0 text-align:center width:100%">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/pngbase64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) display:block height:44px margin:0 auto -44px position:relative top:-22px width:44px">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0 padding:0 4px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjFQbxXAXES/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">When Mansur Ali, 12 yrs old, first came to the Child Friendly Space (CFS) at the Balukhali camp, he was only drawing scenes of bloodshed and violence. Helicopters shooting at him and his friends playing soccer... or his village and home being on fire with burning bodies all around him.. Today, his drawings reflect a more hopeful story, one we would like all these children to have. Since the #Rohingya children have arrived in Cox’s Bazar, they have been living in overcrowded camps with no real place that to call their own. Imagine a space that lets you forget your troubles and be a child again... even if its only for just a few hours a day. For the Rohingya children, over 300,000, in the camps in Bangladesh this is the only space that allows them to be kids. These Child Friendly Spaces created by @unicef give kids access to art, music, dance, sport, and counselling etc. The space has often proved to be very therapeutic, helping these kids deal with the horrific situations they faced.. the @unicef aid workers work tirelessly to make sure these children find their spirit again. It doesn’t matter where a child is from or what his or her circumstances are... NO child deserves a life without hope for the future. The world needs to care. We need to care. Please lend your support at www.supportunicef.org #childrenuprooted @unicef @unicefbangladesh</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/priyankachopra/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Priyanka Chopra</a> (@priyankachopra) on <time datetime="2018-05-22T13:54:51+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">May 22, 2018 at 6:54am PDT</time></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjE5B86jzTu/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF border:0 border-radius:3px box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15) margin: 1px max-width:658px padding:0 width:99.375% width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px) width:calc(100% - 2px)">
<div style="padding:8px">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8 line-height:0 margin-top:40px padding:50% 0 text-align:center width:100%">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/pngbase64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) display:block height:44px margin:0 auto -44px position:relative top:-22px width:44px">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0 padding:0 4px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjE5B86jzTu/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">Across the river is Myanmar(Burma.) It’s empty now, but a few months ago this area, known as “Sabrang,” was filled with hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar. Their trip here was filled with many hardships and tremendous danger. Many of them made their journey on foot, walking for days through the hills, then floating across the Naf River or the Bay of Bengal on make shift boats...many of them injured, pregnant, elderly, etc. Their ordeal didn’t end here...after entering Bangladesh, they would often have to wait for days, sleeping in the open fields with no food or water, for aid workers to reach them. For a lot of the Rohingya children, this ordeal will leave them scarred, physically and emotionally, for the rest of their lives. With your help, maybe these children can have a chance at a future...because right now, their future is bleak. The world needs to care. We need to care. Please lend your support at www.supportunicef.org #ChildrenUprooted @unicef @unicefbangladesh</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/priyankachopra/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Priyanka Chopra</a> (@priyankachopra) on <time datetime="2018-05-22T10:30:21+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">May 22, 2018 at 3:30am PDT</time></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>On the work front, Priyanka will be seen in Salman Khan’s “Bharat”.&nbsp;</p>


Priyanka Chopra is on a field visit to refugee camps in Dhaka, Bangladesh as UNICEF brand ambassador

Priyanka Chopra never fails to make a statement -- be it in her personal choices or professional commitments. As a global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights, the globetrotter is currently in Dhaka, Bangladesh spreading warmth among the displaced kids and their families as is visible in pictures shared by her on her Instagram page. Dressed modestly with a headcover in most photos, Priyanka feeds nutrient-rich UNICEF provided food supplement to malnourished Rohingya refugee kids as their mothers and other UNICEF volunteers look on. In others, she engages with the kids as she plays with them. Priyanka had earlier posted about the start of the Bangladesh journey as she insisted that world deals with empathy and wrote: “Follow my Instagram to share my experiences as I visit the Rohingya refugee camps on this Unicef field visit. Children uprooted, the world needs to care. We need to care.” It has been more than a decade for Priyanka to be associated with UNICEF as she promotes causes such as environment, health and education and women’s rights among many others. Last year, Priyanka had met Syrian refugee children in Jordan. Priyanka with Rohingya refugee kids in Bangladesh: This is little Shohida (8 months old), who stole my heart with her infectious smile. It’s a poignant reminder of the dichotomy of life...here she was getting all the help she needed, when just a few months before, her mother, Alada (who was only 19 years old at the time) walked for 15 days, while 6 months pregnant with her ,to get across the border. It shows us that there is hope left in this world. When you’re dealing with a mass exodus of thousands of people, who have been displaced from their homes and are desperate for refuge, the need for proper health and nutrition takes center stage...especially for women and children. On the various Unicef Field Visits I have taken, I am always surprised by the simple yet effective solutions that @unicef and their partners develop to deal with the most dire and pressing situations and issues. This is something I experienced again today during my visit to the Nutrition Centre at the Jamtoli camp in Cox’s Bazar. More than 60,000 babies have been born in the camps over the past 8 months, so this center is an essential resource for new mothers to learn about proper feeding and nutrition. It all begins with the MUAC, a process where the child’s middle upper arm is measured to ascertain their nutrition level. From there, aids create a program for the child and a nutrient rich, ready-to-eat peanut paste is portioned out for each child based on the severity of malnutrition. At the Center mother’s are also taught basic hygiene and good health practices when they are in their homes. The world needs to care. We need to care. Please lend your support at www.supportunicef.org #childrenuprooted @unicef @unicefbangladesh A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 23, 2018 at 12:32pm PDT × As I walk into the Women Friendly Space at the Jamtoli Camp, I am instantly struck by a certain calmness. These camps are loud & crowded, actually overcrowded, and so to find a quiet oasis, in this case a small hut with a tarp roof and thatched bamboo walls, is surprising. But for the girls in this camp, this is what they call their “house of peace.” It’s a place they can come and just be. A place to interact with friends, seek counselling, learn about hygiene, or learn life skills like art and music. There are approx 50 Women Friendly Spaces in the camps, just like this one, that on any given day see 50-70 Rohingya girls seeking these safe havens. The centers open at 9am, but there is seldom a day when the women aren’t lined up early, waiting for the doors to open. It is here that I met three 18 year old young women, in particular, who’s stories really shook me - their names have been omitted to protect their identities. They recounted lives of pain and suffering so horrifying...it’s difficult to fathom. One scarred with memories of houses in her village being burned - she and her parents traveled for two days to get here, passing hundreds of decapitated and dismembered bodies along the way. Another shared stories of young girls being pulled from their homes to be raped and tortured. They even tried to kill her and cut her with a knife, but she fought back. How did you manage to be so brave, I asked her...she replied, “If you’re born you will die, so I’m not scared of dying today.” In what world is it normal for an 18 year old girl to have this perspective on life?! The third young woman traveled for nearly two weeks on foot through the forest, where her youngest brother died along the way. There was lots of rape and torture back home she told me, and some women’s breasts were even cut off. While their lives are safer now, they are all still struggling. They know that with an education they can get a job and create better lives for their family, like buying protein for their meals, and clean drinking water. It’s literally as basic as that. Please help however you can, no donation is too small...go to www.supportunicef.org #childrenuprooted @unicef A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 23, 2018 at 11:37am PDT × When Mansur Ali, 12 yrs old, first came to the Child Friendly Space (CFS) at the Balukhali camp, he was only drawing scenes of bloodshed and violence. Helicopters shooting at him and his friends playing soccer... or his village and home being on fire with burning bodies all around him.. Today, his drawings reflect a more hopeful story, one we would like all these children to have. Since the #Rohingya children have arrived in Cox’s Bazar, they have been living in overcrowded camps with no real place that to call their own. Imagine a space that lets you forget your troubles and be a child again... even if its only for just a few hours a day. For the Rohingya children, over 300,000, in the camps in Bangladesh this is the only space that allows them to be kids. These Child Friendly Spaces created by @unicef give kids access to art, music, dance, sport, and counselling etc. The space has often proved to be very therapeutic, helping these kids deal with the horrific situations they faced.. the @unicef aid workers work tirelessly to make sure these children find their spirit again. It doesn’t matter where a child is from or what his or her circumstances are... NO child deserves a life without hope for the future. The world needs to care. We need to care. Please lend your support at www.supportunicef.org #childrenuprooted @unicef @unicefbangladesh A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 22, 2018 at 6:54am PDT × Across the river is Myanmar(Burma.) It’s empty now, but a few months ago this area, known as “Sabrang,” was filled with hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar. Their trip here was filled with many hardships and tremendous danger. Many of them made their journey on foot, walking for days through the hills, then floating across the Naf River or the Bay of Bengal on make shift boats...many of them injured, pregnant, elderly, etc. Their ordeal didn’t end here...after entering Bangladesh, they would often have to wait for days, sleeping in the open fields with no food or water, for aid workers to reach them. For a lot of the Rohingya children, this ordeal will leave them scarred, physically and emotionally, for the rest of their lives. With your help, maybe these children can have a chance at a future...because right now, their future is bleak. The world needs to care. We need to care. Please lend your support at www.supportunicef.org #ChildrenUprooted @unicef @unicefbangladesh A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 22, 2018 at 3:30am PDT × On the work front, Priyanka will be seen in Salman Khan’s “Bharat”.

In pictures: Priyanka Chopra spends the day with Rohingya refugee children

<p>The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has urged Myanmar to end the military campaign against Muslim Rohingyas.</p>

<p>According to the The Daily Star, the resolution forwarded by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was adopted by a vote of 122 to 10 with 24 abstentions on Sunday.</p>

<p>China and Russia along with some regional countries opposed the resolution, but despite their rejection, the resolution also called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to assign a special envoy to the country.</p>

<p>On Monday, Bangladesh Health Minister Mohammed Nasim said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingyas-to-return-to-myanmar-soon-bangladesh-minister-27691">Rohingya refugees would return</a> to their homeland as soon as the international community and the UN pressured Myanmar into repatriating them.</p>

<p>Myanmar and Bangladesh had earlier this month formed Joint Working Group (JWG) to handle the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.</p>

<p>The crucial JWG with 15 each from Bangladesh and Myanmar will oversee the repatriation of over 600,000 Rohingya refugees who have taken shelter in Bangladesh to escape ethnic violence in the latter.</p>

<p>More than 655,000 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25, escaping a military crackdown in Rakhine state, which many countries and human rights bodies have described as ethnic cleansing.</p>

<p>The military action, which was triggered after their posts became targets of terrorist attacks, invited ire of the international community.</p>

<p>On October 12, a United Nations&#39; report based on interviews conducted in Bangladesh found that brutal attacks against Rohingyas in the northern Rakhine state have been well-organised, coordinated and systematic, with the intent of not only driving the population out of Myanmar but preventing them from returning to their homes.</p>

<p>The Rakhine state is home to a majority of Muslims in Myanmar, who have been denied citizenship and long faced persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, especially from the extremists.</p>


Bangladesh Health Minister Mohammed Nasim had said on Monday that Rohingya refugees would return to their homeland as soon as the international community and the UN pressured Myanmar into repatriating them.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has urged Myanmar to end the military campaign against Muslim Rohingyas. According to the The Daily Star, the resolution forwarded by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was adopted by a vote of 122 to 10 with 24 abstentions on Sunday. China and Russia along with some regional countries opposed the resolution, but despite their rejection, the resolution also called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to assign a special envoy to the country. On Monday, Bangladesh Health Minister Mohammed Nasim said Rohingya refugees would return to their homeland as soon as the international community and the UN pressured Myanmar into repatriating them. Myanmar and Bangladesh had earlier this month formed Joint Working Group (JWG) to handle the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. The crucial JWG with 15 each from Bangladesh and Myanmar will oversee the repatriation of over 600,000 Rohingya refugees who have taken shelter in Bangladesh to escape ethnic violence in the latter. More than 655,000 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25, escaping a military crackdown in Rakhine state, which many countries and human rights bodies have described as ethnic cleansing. The military action, which was triggered after their posts became targets of terrorist attacks, invited ire of the international community. On October 12, a United Nations' report based on interviews conducted in Bangladesh found that brutal attacks against Rohingyas in the northern Rakhine state have been well-organised, coordinated and systematic, with the intent of not only driving the population out of Myanmar but preventing them from returning to their homes. The Rakhine state is home to a majority of Muslims in Myanmar, who have been denied citizenship and long faced persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, especially from the extremists.

UNGA urges Myanmar to end military action against Rohingyas

<p>The Supreme Court said today the Indian government must balance national security with humanity and directed the Centre not to deport&nbsp;Rohingyas till the case is heard.</p>

<p>India&#39;s top court said Rohingya Muslims issue is of &quot;great magnitude&quot; and the state has a big role to play.</p>

<p>In their petition, the two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, argued that they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They contend that many Rohingyas, who had fled to India after the earlier spate of violence, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Indian government had earlier told the apex court that besides being a security threat because of links to the ISI and the IS, Rohingyas will exhaust natural resources meant for Indian citizens resulting in hostility and social tensions.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-links-with-is-isi-rohingya-refugee-to-supreme-court-20549">Another Rohingya refugee then filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;denying the Indian government&#39;s claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with Pakistan&#39;s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Islamic State.</p>

<p>The affidavit stated that the Rohingyas should be treated at par with Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees.</p>

<p>Supreme Court has granted&nbsp;more time to all the parties to argue and posted the matter for further hearing on November 21.</p>


India's top court said Rohingya Muslims issue is of "great magnitude" and the state has a big role to play.

The Supreme Court said today the Indian government must balance national security with humanity and directed the Centre not to deport Rohingyas till the case is heard. India's top court said Rohingya Muslims issue is of "great magnitude" and the state has a big role to play. In their petition, the two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, argued that they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there. They contend that many Rohingyas, who had fled to India after the earlier spate of violence, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. The Indian government had earlier told the apex court that besides being a security threat because of links to the ISI and the IS, Rohingyas will exhaust natural resources meant for Indian citizens resulting in hostility and social tensions. Another Rohingya refugee then filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court denying the Indian government's claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Islamic State. The affidavit stated that the Rohingyas should be treated at par with Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees. Supreme Court has granted more time to all the parties to argue and posted the matter for further hearing on November 21.

Must balance security with humanity, can't deport Rohingyas till case is heard: Supreme Court to govt

<p>Around 9,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled north-west Myanmar, which has been hit by violence triggered by coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on Myanmar&#39;s security forces.</p>

<p>Many are still stuck at the Bangladesh border hoping to flee the violence-hit Rakhine state.</p>

<p>Authorities in Myanmar have evacuated thousands of Rohingya Buddhists.&nbsp;</p>

<p>United Nations, while taking note of the violence, asked the Myanmar government to protect civilian lives without discrimination, Reuters said in a report.</p>

<p>In one of the worst incidents of violence in Myanmar involving Rohingyas, 109 people have been killed so far in the clashes.</p>

<p>&quot;The situation is very terrifying, houses are burning, all the people ran away from their homes, parents and children were divided, some were lost, some are dead,&quot; Reuters quoted one of the Rohingyas as saying.</p>

<p>Rohingya Muslims face discrimination in Myanmar. The government in Myanmar calls them illegal immigrants and denies citizenship rights to them.</p>


Many are still stuck at the Bangladesh border hoping to flee the violence-hit Rakhine state

Around 9,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled north-west Myanmar, which has been hit by violence triggered by coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on Myanmar's security forces. Many are still stuck at the Bangladesh border hoping to flee the violence-hit Rakhine state. Authorities in Myanmar have evacuated thousands of Rohingya Buddhists. United Nations, while taking note of the violence, asked the Myanmar government to protect civilian lives without discrimination, Reuters said in a report. In one of the worst incidents of violence in Myanmar involving Rohingyas, 109 people have been killed so far in the clashes. "The situation is very terrifying, houses are burning, all the people ran away from their homes, parents and children were divided, some were lost, some are dead," Reuters quoted one of the Rohingyas as saying. Rohingya Muslims face discrimination in Myanmar. The government in Myanmar calls them illegal immigrants and denies citizenship rights to them.

Thousands of Rohingyas seek safety in Bangladesh as clashes in Myanmar intensify

<p>Bangladesh has urged the international community to settle the ongoing violence against&nbsp;Rohingya Muslims in a peaceful manner, as horrifying tales of murder, rape and arson are emerging from&nbsp;Myanmar.</p>

<p>Bangladesh is under international pressure to accommodate the fleeing Rohingyas into their country, but Dhaka insists they have scant resources to help the refugees if they do enter.</p>

<p>However, Bangladesh&#39;s foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali&nbsp;said the government is allowing some Rohingyas to cross the border on humanitarian grounds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Bangladesh still stands firm on refusing to open the border along Myanmar. But in some cases, we are allowing Rohingyas after considering the inhumane conditions they have escaped from,&rdquo; the minister said at a press conference, Bangladesh newspaper Dhaka Tribune reported.</p>

<p>Bangladesh said on Wednesday that it had summoned&nbsp;Myanmar&#39;s ambassador to express their &quot;deep concern&quot;, as thousands of ohingyas were massing at the border crossing.</p>

<p>&quot;Despite our border guards&#39; sincere effort to prevent the influx, thousands of distressed&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;citizens including women, children and elderly people continue to cross (the) border into Bangladesh,&quot; the government said, AFP reported.</p>

<p><strong>Widespread persecution</strong></p>

<p>Myanmar troops are &quot;killing men, shooting them, slaughtering children, raping women, burning and looting houses, forcing these people to cross the river&quot; into Bangladesh,&nbsp;John McKissick, head of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) told BBC.</p>

<p>So far around 30,000 Rohingyas have been displaced, the UN said, adding that the violence could be viewed as an act of &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.</p>

<p>The Myanmar army launched a&nbsp;brutal crackdown on the impoverished ethnic group after the coordinated attacks on Myanmar&#39;s border posts killed nine policemen last month.</p>

<p>Rohingyas are looked at with deep mistrust in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.&nbsp;Most of them have lived in Rakhine state for generations, but have been denied basic rights by the government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


Dhaka says they have scant resources to accommodate the fleeing Rohingya Muslims into their country

Bangladesh has urged the international community to settle the ongoing violence against Rohingya Muslims in a peaceful manner, as horrifying tales of murder, rape and arson are emerging from Myanmar. Bangladesh is under international pressure to accommodate the fleeing Rohingyas into their country, but Dhaka insists they have scant resources to help the refugees if they do enter. However, Bangladesh's foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali said the government is allowing some Rohingyas to cross the border on humanitarian grounds. “Bangladesh still stands firm on refusing to open the border along Myanmar. But in some cases, we are allowing Rohingyas after considering the inhumane conditions they have escaped from,” the minister said at a press conference, Bangladesh newspaper Dhaka Tribune reported. Bangladesh said on Wednesday that it had summoned Myanmar's ambassador to express their "deep concern", as thousands of ohingyas were massing at the border crossing. "Despite our border guards' sincere effort to prevent the influx, thousands of distressed Myanmar citizens including women, children and elderly people continue to cross (the) border into Bangladesh," the government said, AFP reported. Widespread persecution Myanmar troops are "killing men, shooting them, slaughtering children, raping women, burning and looting houses, forcing these people to cross the river" into Bangladesh, John McKissick, head of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) told BBC. So far around 30,000 Rohingyas have been displaced, the UN said, adding that the violence could be viewed as an act of "ethnic cleansing". The Myanmar army launched a brutal crackdown on the impoverished ethnic group after the coordinated attacks on Myanmar's border posts killed nine policemen last month. Rohingyas are looked at with deep mistrust in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. Most of them have lived in Rakhine state for generations, but have been denied basic rights by the government. (WION)

Bangladesh in a fix over violence against Rohingyas in Myanmar