UN: Around 45,000 Rohingya have fled the fighting in Burma

The United Nations reported on Friday that escalating fighting in Rakhine State in Burma has forced around 45,000 Rohingya minority members to flee amid reports of killings and property burning.

Elizabeth Throssell, spokesperson for the UN Office for Human Rights, told journalists in Geneva, "Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced in recent days due to the fighting in Buthidaung and Maungdaw," both tinplate towns. 

She added, "The number of Rohingya who have fled is estimated at around 45,000 and they have moved to an area on the Naaf River near the border with Bangladesh in search of safety."

AFP