BBC Accessibility links Skip to contentAccessibility Help Sign in BBC navigation Menu Search News navigation Sections Asia Rohingya crisis: Exodus swells 'as 270,000 flee Myanmar' 8 September 2017 Share this with Facebook Share this with Twitter Share Rohingya refugees carry their child as they walk through water after crossing border by boat through the Naf River in Teknaf, Bangladesh, 7 September 2017Image copyrightREUTERS Image caption Rohingya families have been making difficult and dangerous journeys to get to Bangladesh About 270,000 Rohingya Muslims have sought shelter in Bangladesh since violence erupted in Myanmar two weeks ago, the UN says. A spokeswoman said the jump - up from 164,000 on Thursday - was because new pockets of people had been found. She called the figure "so alarming" and said urgent action was needed to address the situation in Myanmar. Those fleeing say Myanmar's military are burning their villages and attacking them. The violence began on 25 August when Rohingya militants attacked police posts in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state. Rohingya residents - a stateless mostly Muslim minority in a Buddhist-majority nation - say the military and Rakhine Buddhists responded with a brutal campaign against them. Myanmar rejects this, saying its military is fighting against Rohingya militants. Media captionWatch: Who are the Rohingya? For two weeks, Rohingya families have been streaming north across the Bangladesh border. Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency UNHCR, said the latest surge in numbers "does not necessarily reflect fresh arrivals within the past 24 hours but that we have identified more people in different areas that we were not aware of before". Existing refugee camps are full and people who had crossed the border were setting up shelters "on the roads or whatever empty space they could find", she said. They were "exhausted, hungry and desperate for shelter", a UNHCR briefing note said. Why won't Aung San Suu Kyi act? Tales of horror from Rohingya who fled BBC reporter: 'A Muslim village was burning' Myanmar conflict: The view from Yangon Some are trekking to the Naf River, which forms the border, and others are sailing up the coast. At least 300 Rohingya boats arrived in Cox's Bazar, in Bangladesh, on Wednesday, the UN's migration body said. In this photo taken on September 7, 2017, armed Myanmar police patrol fields near Maungdaw in the northern Rakhine state in northern MyanmarImage copyrightAFP Image caption Myanmar security forces say they are fighting Muslim insurgents The Rohingya plight is sparking concern and protests in many nations, and Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been criticised for failing to protect them. On Thursday, South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu, one of the leading figures in the anti-apartheid struggle, added his voice, saying: "If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep." He urged Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate who spent years under house arrest for her pro-democracy activism, "to speak out for justice, human rights and the unity of your people". There are calls for her Nobel Peace Prize to be withdrawn, but Nobel committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen said that was not possible. Speaking on Norwegian radio, she said Ms Suu Kyi won the prize because of her "role as a freedom fighter in Myanmar and against the military dictatorship". "And we do not have the mandate, nor is it our task to evaluate what Nobel laureates do after they have won the prize," she said. Malala calls for defence of Rohingya Rohingya militants - who are they? What sparked latest violence in Rakhine? Fake photos inflame tension Earlier in the week, Ms Suu Kyi - who faces strong anti-Rohingya sentiment in Myanmar - claimed the crisis in Rakhine state was being distorted by a "huge iceberg of misinformation". She subsequently said that Myanmar had "to take care of everybody who is in our country, whether or not they are our citizens", and said Myanmar would "try our best" despite inadequate resources. Those who have fled northern Rakhine state bring tales of village burnings, beatings and killings at the hands of the security forces and Buddhist youths. Ms Suu Kyi's government says it is the Rohingya militants and the Muslim villagers themselves who are burning their own homes and attacking non-Muslims. But a BBC reporter in Rakhine state on Thursday saw a Muslim village being burned, apparently by a group of Rakhine Buddhists, contradicting the official narrative. Related Topics Aung San Suu KyiMyanmar Share this story About sharing Email Facebook Messenger Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp LinkedIn More on this story BBC reporter in Rakhine: 'A Muslim village was burning' 7 September 2017 Video In the jungle with refugees 4 September 2017 Myanmar conflict: Fake photos inflame tension 2 September 2017 What sparked latest violence? 4 September 2017 Myanmar: Who are the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army? 6 September 2017 MPs urge UK to help Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims 5 September 2017 Asia Bangladeshi woman Video Video Bangladeshis count losses after floods 9 September 2017 From the section Asia Full article Bangladeshis count losses after floods The two-part surgery Doctors remove seven teeth from infant 8 September 2017 From the section India Full article Doctors remove seven teeth from infant A relief camp in Muzaffarnagar Families 'not compensated in India riot' 8 September 2017 From the section India Full article Families 'not compensated in India riot' More Videos from the BBC One-minute World News One-minute World News Sacked model: 'All white people benefit from racism' Sacked model: 'All white people benefit from racism' Prince George starts school in London Prince George starts school in London 'He touched my back down to my bum' 'He touched my back down to my bum' India guru rape: Inside huge temple complex India guru rape: Inside huge temple complex Who are the Rohingya Muslims? Who are the Rohingya Muslims? Recommended by Outbrain Elsewhere on BBC Discover Britain's best summer events in July BBC.com Discover Britain's best summer events in July Canada hospital not charged after switching men at birth BBC News Canada hospital not charged after switching men at birth Rohingya crisis: Johnson warns Suu Kyi over Muslim treatment BBC News Rohingya crisis: Johnson warns Suu Kyi over Muslim… Recommended by Outbrain You Might Also Like A Prague church that defied Nazi rule BBC Travel A Prague church that defied Nazi rule Why people think Germans are so efficient BBC Travel Why people think Germans are so efficient The last surviving sea silk seamstress BBC Travel The last surviving sea silk seamstress Top Stories Powerful Hurricane Irma strikes Cuba Hurricane Hunters fly over eye of storm Hunt for Mexico quake survivors continues Features Irma v Andrew VIDEO Irma v Andrew: Why this could be worse Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi attends the funeral service for the National League for Democracy (NLD) party's former chairman Aung Shwe in Yangon on 17 August 2017. The Rohingya crisis: Why Aung San Suu Kyi won't act Thursdaline Peter VIDEO 'The thief was big but he left in tears' Molly's Game 7 screenwriting tips from Aaron Sorkin President Putin North Korea crisis: What will Russia do? Scientists punch holes in a menstrual pad to begin their analysis Why used sanitary pads are being collected in India Woman drinking coffee (c) Science Photo Library Should we embrace an enhanced future? Anas al-Janabi VIDEO Can a fairground bring joy to Fallujah? The Visions In Motion dance group prepares to march down Eastern Parkway for the West Indian American Day Parade in celebration of the Caribbean Carnival in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, on 4 September 2017 Week in pictures Most Read 1 Hurricane Irma: Cuba hit with strong winds and heavy rain 2 Derby Aida Bliss factory roof-fall boy, 12, dies 3 Hurricane Irma: Stranded couple on 'honeymoon from hell' 4 Seized van in Sandwell had string to operate wipers 5 RideLondon: Pedestrian dies from injuries after race collision 6 Strictly Come Dancing: Susan Calman 'offended' by dance partner row 7 Baby daughter for Sir Chris Hoy and wife Sarra 8 Alcohol-free: Stealth drinking helping people give up alcohol 9 Beware of social media during terror events, NHS guidelines warn 10 Anti-Brexit marchers rally in Parliament Square From Around the Web These Celebrity Grandkids Look Exactly Like Their Famous Grandparents These Celebrity Grandkids Look Exactly Like Their Famous Grandparents Woman's World Promoted content by Outbrain News navigationSections BBC News Services On your mobile On your connected tv Get news alerts Contact BBC News Explore the BBC Sport Weather TV Radio CBBC CBeebies Food iWonder Bitesize Music Arts Make It Digital Taster Local Terms of Use About the BBC Privacy Policy Cookies Accessibility Help Parental Guidance Contact the BBC Copyright © 2017 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.