Thousands of Rohingya Muslims began flooding into the paddy fields of Bangladesh in August 2017 to flee a major crackdown by armed forces. Described by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as "one of, if not the, most discriminated people in the world", the Rohingyas are one of Myanmar's many ethnic minorities.
The exodus as claimed by UNICEF constituted nearly 60% of children, who brought with them accounts of unspeakable violence and brutality. Many children arrived alone in Bangladesh, severely traumatized, having seen their parents, relatives and friends killed in front of them. Clinging on their elders arms, in baskets, on foot and some still in their mother’s womb, they waded through the Naf river that marks the border between the two countries, making desperate efforts to obtain food and shelter, and in hopes of a dignified future. Not all survived this perilous journey.