Turkish charity dispatches aid to Rohingya refugees

ANKARA

A Turkish relief agency on Saturday dispatched aid packages to Rohingya refugees in the southeastern Cox's Bazaar district of Bangladesh.

Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) sent packages of food and supplies for winter to 44,825 refugees who fled the genocide being committed in Myanmar.

In a statement, IHH said that it distributed food packages containing legumes, pasta, dates and local beverages to 22,450 people in need.

A total of 22,375 people were provided with winter clothing and blankets.

The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.

According to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and children, fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017, pushing the number of persecuted people in Bangladesh above 1.2 million.

* Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara