UNHCR: 123,000 Rohingya refugees have fled Myanmar

BANGKOK – The U.N. refugee agency says some 123,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh since violence erupted in Myanmar on Aug. 25.

UNHCR spokeswoman Vivian Tan said Tuesday that the latest number is a result of aid workers conducting new, more accurate counts in both established and makeshift refugee camps.

On Monday, the agency had estimated 87,000 refugees had crossed the swampy border in the days since Rohingya insurgents attacked Myanmar police posts, prompting security forces to launch "clearance operations" in response.

Tan said "the numbers are very worrying. They are going up very quickly." The older, established refugee camps for Rohingya have already reached capacity, and thousands were struggling to find shelter.