2018 Photo Contest, General News, 2nd prize

Rohingya Refugees Flee Into Bangladesh to Escape Ethnic Cleansing

Photographer

Kevin Frayer

Getty Images

22 October, 2017

Rohingya refugees gather to pray at the site of a new mosque being built at the Balukhali refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Attacks on the villages of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, and the burning of their homes, led to hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing into Bangladesh on foot or by boat. Many died in the attempt. According to UNICEF, more than half of those fleeing were children. In Bangladesh, refugees were housed in existing camps and makeshift settlements. Conditions became critical; basic services came under severe pressure and, according to a Médecins Sans Frontières physician based there, most people lacked clean water, shelter and sanitation, bringing the threat of disease.

In January 2020, the International Court of Justice ordered Myanmar to take measures to protect the Rohingya community from genocide, but Myanmar says it is targeting militants, not civilians. Bangladesh has informed the UN that it will no longer accept Rohingya refugees.

About the photographer

Kevin Frayer

His photographs have been widely published in leading newspapers, magazines and internet sites around the world. 

Technical information

Shutter Speed
1/60
Focal length
24.0 mm
F-Stop
2.8
ISO
4000

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