UN, gov't officials meet to drum up funds for Rohingya

U.N. humanitarian officials, government ministers and advocacy group leaders are convening for a conference aimed at drumming up funds to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, as the influx from Myanmar has topped 600,000 since late August.

The one-day meeting in Geneva hosted by the European Union, the government of Kuwait and the United Nations' migration, refugee and humanitarian aid coordinating agencies aims to help meet a U.N. call for $434 million in funding through February.

Officials say less than one-quarter of that has come in so far.

Spokesman Adrian Edwards of refugee agency UNHCR said Monday that some 603,000 people have crossed into Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar since Aug. 25, when security forces launched a violent crackdown targeting them.

Over half of those who have fled are children.