Six health surveys conducted by Medecins sans Frontieres in Cox’s Bazar in November 2017 indicate that at least 9,400 people died in the first month following the upsurge of violence in Rakhine State, including at least 6,700 killed, among them at least 730 children under the age of five.
MSF concludes that the signing of an agreement for the return of the refugees by the governments of Burma and Bangladesh is premature. Rohingya refugees should not be forced to return to Burma. Before any plans for their return can be seriously considered, their safety and rights must be guaranteed.