Manus Island refugees dig for water as Australia closes camp
About 600 refugees, mostly from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, have barricaded themselves inside a recently closed Australian-run detention centre because they are worried about attacks from hostile locals.
Hundreds of refugees have been forced to dig wells in search of water in a tense standoff on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island. About 600 refugees, mostly from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, have barricaded themselves inside a recently closed Australian-run detention centre because they are worried about attacks from hostile locals.
Water, power and food supplies to the detention centre were cut off after its official closure on Tuesday.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will meet her Australian counterpart on Sunday next week to discuss what role her country can play to help resolve the crisis.
Al Jazeera’s Andrew Thomas reports from Sydney.