DHAKA (Reuters) – Hard-pressed to find space for a massive influx of Rohingya Muslim refugees, Bangladesh plans to chop down forest trees to extend a tent city sheltering destitute families fleeing ethnic violence in neighboring Myanmar.

More than half a million Rohingya have arrived from Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine since the end of August in what the United Nations has called the world’s fastest-developing refugee emergency.

The exodus began after Myanmar security forces responded to Rohingya militants’ attacks on Aug. 25 by launching a brutal crackdown that the United Nations has denounced as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar has rejected that accusation, insisting that the military action was needed to combat “terrorists” who had killed civilians and burnt villages.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya/bangladesh-carving-out-forest-land-to-shelter-desperate-rohingya-idUSKBN1CA0ZN?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=48d70ab67d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_10_05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-48d70ab67d-400098637