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Stranded Rohingya refugees disembark in Aceh
The boat carrying the refugees docked safely in Lhoksemauwe, Aceh, shortly after midnight Friday, where they were transported to a temporary shelter provided by authorities amid heavy monsoon rains, AFP reported.
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A Rohingya child looks out of the window of a bus after arriving by boat at a port in Krueng Geukuh near Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, Dec. 31, 2021. (Reuters/Hidayatullah Tahjuddin)
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ore than 100 Rohingya refugees, who had been stranded for days on an overcrowded wooden vessel off the coast of Bireuen, Aceh, were allowed to disembark early Friday, following pressure to allow them to seek refuge.
The vessel, which was reportedly leaking and had a damaged engine, was towed by Indonesian Navy ship KRI Parang early Thursday from its location in the open seas near Bireuen, a Navy official told The Jakarta Post.
Rough seas and bad weather hampered the evacuation operation to bring the refugees, mostly women and children, to the shore, resulting in a longer-than-expected operation, the official said.
The boat docked safely to a port in Lhoksemauwe, Aceh, shortly after midnight Friday and its passengers were allowed to leave the boat. They boarded a bus from the port to a temporary shelter provided by authorities amid heavy monsoon rains, AFP reported.
The 105 refugees, which includes 50 women and 47 children, would be kept in quarantine for 10 to 14 days and undergo health checks, Oktina Hafanti, an official at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said as quoted by Reuters.
The rescue came after Indonesia initially refused to allow the refugees to land in the country, when local officials in Aceh previously said they would provide those on board the vessel with essential needs that would allow them to continue their journey to Malaysia.
Read also: Govt to let stranded Rohingya boat seek refuge
