More than 150 Rohingya refugees, including children, have been rescued after spending several days adrift off the coast of Indonesia, according to a report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday.
The vessel, which carried 152 individuals, anchored 1.6 kilometers from shore in the southern part of Aceh province while awaiting a decision from authorities regarding their entry into Indonesia. The passengers were ultimately rescued on Thursday afternoon, as confirmed by Faisal Rahman, a representative of the UNHCR, in a statement to AFP.
“UNHCR would like to thank the authorities and local communities for the humanitarian spirit and life-saving efforts as well as the landing permits given to around 152 refugees,” UNHCR’s Faisal Rahman told AFP on Friday.
“Many of those on the boat were vulnerable women and children, victims of human trafficking,” he said, adding that UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies were now assisting the refugees.
The Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar, risk their lives each year by embarking on dangerous sea journeys in hopes of reaching Malaysia or Indonesia.
On the same day, another group of over 140 Rohingya refugees successfully arrived in northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
