UN urges Australia to end PNG refugee camp stand- off

The United Nations called on Australia to stop a “humanitarian emergency” unfolding at a detention center in Papua New Guinea on Thursday, urging an end to a tense days- long stand- off between refugees and authorities.

The Manus Island camp, set up to hold and process asylumseekers under Australia’s harsh immigration policy, was officially closed Tuesday after it was ruled unconstitutional by PNG’s Supreme Court.

But some 600 men have locked themselves inside despite water and electricity being cut and dwindling food sup- plies, saying they are fearful for their safety if they move to transition centers amid reports locals do not want them there.

“UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today reiterates its call to Australia to stop a humanitarian emergency unfolding on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea,” the organization said in a statement.

Describing the situation as “increasingly tense and unstable,” the agency said there was inadequate accommodation outside the camp for all of the men, with one center still incomplete.

Within the camp, they were storing water in garbage bins to sustain themselves, UNHCR said. One Manus detainee, an Iranian called Behrouz Boochani, tweeted Thursday that refugees were “digging into the ground to find water.”

“As the days go by where they have no water and no electricity, I think the tensions will just go up higher,” UNHCR representative Lam Nai Jit told AFP from Manus Island, adding that the weather was “extremely hot and humid.”

“The local population have not been prepared... that creates an environment of high risk for both sides,” he said.

Lam added that while he had been in contact with PNG authorities, who assured him the detainees would not be forcibly transferred, he had not heard from Australian officials, who had mostly left the area.

The men’s plight has attracted the attention of Hollywood, with Australian star Russell Crowe describing the situation as “disgraceful.”