Aceh Government Prepares New Shelter Locations For Rohingya Refugees

Rohingya refugees when stranded in the Lampanah Leugah Beach area, Aceh Besar, Thursday (16/2/2023 (ANTARA)

BANDA ACEH - A wave of Rohingya refugees continues to arrive in the Aceh region. To date, 1,684 ethnic Rohingya people are in a number of different locations. PJ Aceh Governor Achmad Marzuki said local governments are required to provide emergency assistance for these refugees. This is in accordance with Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 125 of 2016 regarding the handling of refugees from abroad. He said local governments are required to facilitate the basic needs of refugees such as sanitation, health services, and also houses of worship. "For further assistance, it will be assisted by international institutions such as UNHCR and IOM," he said Monday, December 11.

Regarding the intense resistance voiced by the public, Achmad said the Aceh government was trying to find a new location that would be used to accommodate these refugees. However, there must be a definite period of time, how long these asylum seekers will be accommodated and further handling of international institutions, namely UNHCR and IOM.