Rohingya refugees 'could starve to death': Save the Children

Rohingya refugees fleeing violent persecution in Burma could starve to death amid a growing humanitarian crisis, said an aid agency.

Nearly 410,000 Rohingyas face shortages of food, water, and shelter after escaping from western Rakhine state into Bangladesh.

"Many people are arriving hungry, exhausted and with no food or water," said Mark Pierce, Bangladesh country director the Save the Children charity.

He added, "I’m particularly worried that the demand for food, shelter, water and basic hygiene support is not being met due to the sheer number of people in need. If families can’t meet their basic needs, the suffering will get even worse and lives could be lost."

For decades Bangladesh has received influxes of Rohingya fleeing from Buddhist-majority Burma, where they are reviled by many as illegal immigrants and suffer systematic discrimination.

Bangladesh was already home to 400,000 Rohingya before the latest crisis erupted last month.

Bangladesh government has committed to build thousands of shelters to house the displaced people, with the United Nations Refugee Agency warning existing camps were "bursting at the seams".

Pierce said the humanitarian response needed be urgently scaled up, according to Independent UK.

"That can only be done if the international community steps up funding,” he added.

Save the Children said more than a million Rohingya refugees could be in Bangladesh by the end of the year. It estimated that figure would include 600,000 children, many "alone and in desperate need of help" and at risk of exploitation and trafficking.

Some child refugees were reported to have witnessed the murder of their parents, the charity added.