Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, has called for swift action to prevent further instability and find a durable solution for the Rohingya refugee crisis, noting that the crisis has resulted in displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas from Myanmar, including young children, who are at grave risk, "The situation has spiralled into the world’s fastest developing refugee emergency and a humanitarian and human rights nightmare," the Secretary-General said at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Myanmar.

At least 500,000 civilians have fled their homes in the country’s northern Rakhine state since late August and sought refuge in Bangladesh. According to estimates, some 94 percent among them are members of the minority Muslim Rohingya community.

There have also been reports of burning of Muslim villages. Authorities in Myanmar have indicated that at least 176 of 471 Muslim villages in northern Rakhine have been totally abandoned.

"We have received bone-chilling accounts from those who fled, mainly women, children and the elderly," added the UN chief, noting that testimonies pointed to serious violations of human rights, including indiscriminate firing of weapons, the presence of landmines and sexual violence.

Failure to address the violence could result in a spill-over into central Rakhine, where an additional 250,000 Muslims could potentially face displacement, Mr. Guterres warned, stressing that government must ensure the safety and security of all communities and uphold rule of law without discrimination.

In his briefing, the Secretary-General also underscored that UN agencies and their non-governmental partners must be granted immediate and safe access to all affected communities.