UNHCR Fears 427 Rohingya Dead After Two Boat Tragedies Off Myanmar Coast

sajadi Editor : Widi - Saturday, 24 May 2025 - 18:41 WIB

Saturday, 24 May 2025 - 18:41 WIB

13 Views

Aerial from the far end of Kutupalong Extention refugee camp where UNHCR has helped relocate new arrivals, Bangladesh. ; As an estimated 600,000 Rohingya sought safety in Bangladesh between late-August and October 2017, UNHCR began work on an extension site next to the long-established Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. Whole families, young mothers and unaccompanied minors were among those fleeing for their lives since fighting reignited in Myanmar. They came by boat or walked barefoot for days, wading through vast rice fields. They left most of their possessions behind. Large groups crossed into south-eastern Bangladesh hungry, in poor physical condition and in need of life-saving support. By mid-September, the Bangladeshi Government allocated some 2,000 acres of land on which family tents and temporary communal shelters were erected to shelter new arrivals. UNHCR site planners estimate that these will be sufficient to house 150,000 people.

Dhaka, MINA – The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expressed deep concern on Friday over the possible deaths of 427 Rohingya refugees after two boats sank earlier this month in the waters off Myanmar. The tragedies highlight the growing desperation among the persecuted minority as they flee in search of safety, Anadolu Agency reported.

According to UNHCR, a total of 514 Rohingya were on board the two vessels. The first boat, carrying 267 people, sank on May 9. Only 66 survivors were found. Most of the passengers had departed from refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, while others came from Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

The second vessel, which carried 247 individuals, capsized on May 10. Only 21 people survived. The passengers were a mix of refugees from Cox’s Bazar and new escapees from Rakhine.

This year alone, nearly 20% of those attempting perilous sea journeys in the region have been reported dead or missing, making the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal among the world’s deadliest migration routes.

Also Read: Iran Downs Two Israeli F-35 Fighter Jets

UNHCR also received reports of a third boat with 188 Rohingya that was intercepted after leaving Myanmar on May 14.

Hai Kyung Jun, director of UNHCR’s regional bureau for Asia and the Pacific, emphasized the dire conditions prompting such journeys. “The dire humanitarian situation, exacerbated by funding cuts, is having a devastating impact on the lives of Rohingya,” she said.

The onset of the monsoon season has further increased the dangers, with rough seas and strong winds contributing to the tragic outcomes.

UNHCR is calling for urgent international action to prevent further loss of life. It stressed that saving lives and aiding those in distress at sea is a humanitarian and legal obligation under international maritime law.

Also Read: Israeli Fresh Strikes on Northeastern Iran Kill 18, Injure Dozens

The agency also appealed for financial assistance, noting it has received only 30% of the $383.1 million needed in 2025 to support Rohingya refugees across the region, including those in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar. []

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

Also Read: Number of Israelis Injured in Iranian Missile Strikes Rises to 63, Hundreds Evacuated