The United Nations is temporarily relocating
some of its staff members in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, where a spate of violence
has left at least 17 people dead.
The
relocation is on a voluntary basis and covers nonessential local and
international staff of U.N. agencies, affiliated organizations and their
families, BBC reports, citing a U.N. statement. It was announced after Myanmar
President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency in Rakhine on Sunday (June
10).
The
state of emergency was imposed in response to heightened ethnic and religious
conflict between Buddhist and Muslim groups in the province, which is located
in western Myanmar near the country’s border with Bangladesh. Tensions here
flared after a June 4 attack on a bus carrying Muslim passengers. The attack
was reportedly fueled by anger among Buddhist groups over the murder and rape
of a Buddhist woman last month.
The
decision to relocate U.N. staff members was made for safety reasons as reports
from news agencies and U.N. employees suggest the unrest is making it hard for
aid workers to continue operating in Rakhine, said Ashok Nigam, the U.N.
humanitarian and resident coordinator in Yangon, according to CNN.
U.N.
staff members who have opted for relocation are being moved to Myanmar’s
largest city, Yangon. The United Nations said it has requested “full government
support for the safety and security” of U.N. and international nongovernmental
organization employees while they are being moved out of Rakhine.
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