Over 100 Rohingya Muslims arrive in Indonesia’s Aceh ‘weak from hunger, dehydration’ after weeks at sea
- Villagers who saw the 114 ethnic Rohingya arrive on a rickety wooden boat helped them to land and then reported their arrival to authorities
- The 58 men, 21 women and 35 children were given shelter and received help from villagers, police and military
The group arrived on Jangka beach near Alue Buya Pasi, a fishing village in Bireuen district, early on Sunday.
Villagers who saw the 114 ethnic Rohingya on a rickety wooden boat helped them to land and then reported their arrival to authorities, said Badruddin Yunus, the leader of the local tribal fishing community.
“They look very weak from hunger and dehydration after a long and severe voyage at sea,” said Badruddin, adding it wasn’t clear where the group was travelling from or where it was headed because none of them could speak English or Malay.
The 58 men, 21 women and 35 children were given shelter and received help from villagers, police and military, while local authorities including the coronavirus task force were helping to process them, Badruddin said.
“We will conduct a general health check up and Covid-19 rapid antigen tests for these foreigners,” local police chief Mike Hardy Wirapraja told AFP.
He said they would later be transferred to neighbouring Lhokseumawe district which had a shelter for refugees.
