More than 500 people are feared dead after two large ships reportedly sank off Myanmar since late June, the United Nations (UN) has said.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) and refugee agency UNHCR expressed alarm over reports “that two boats carrying more than 500 people may have capsized off the coast of Myanmar”.
Early information suggested the vessels left conflict-ravaged Rakhine State in late June, carrying mainly members of Myanmar’s predominantly Muslim Rohingya minority, the agencies said in a joint statement.
Some passengers had reportedly come from the sprawling camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, where more than a million Rohingya refugees who escaped Rakhine endure squalid living conditions.
A second vessel, said to have been carrying about 280 people, is believed to have gone down off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on 8 July.
“While the incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed, UNHCR and IOM are gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life,” the statement said.
The agencies noted that the crossings “took place outside the regular sailing season, when maritime conditions are typically more hazardous”.
“Recent torrential rain and flooding across the region have further increased the risks associated with such sea movements.”
The statement warned that “if verified, this tragedy would add to the nearly 300 people reported to be missing or to have lost their lives in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal so far this year, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals”.
Profiting from ‘desperation’
Each year, Rohingya risk dangerous voyages in search of safer, more dignified lives, often boarding fragile vessels run by trafficking networks.
UNHCR said nearly 900 Rohingya refugees were reported dead or missing at sea in the northern Indian Ocean last year alone, among more than 6,500 people who attempted the hazardous crossings.
The agencies said the latest reported disasters “underscore the devastating impact of protracted conflict and displacement, as well as the continued lack of sustainable solutions for Rohingya communities”.
“Escalating conflict and a worsening humanitarian situation in Myanmar, along with limited assistance and opportunities in refugee camps in Bangladesh, contribute to increasing numbers of people attempting perilous sea journeys in search of safety and protection,” they pointed out.
“The reported incidents also highlight the persistent risks posed by smuggling and trafficking networks, which continue to exploit the desperation of people seeking safety,” they added.
IOM and UNHCR urged “enhanced search and rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and actions against smuggling and trafficking networks”.
While praising Bangladesh for its “remarkable generosity in hosting Rohingya refugees for many years”, the agencies emphasized the need for “sustained international support” for refugees and their host communities, alongside “greater efforts to address the underlying drivers of forced displacement”.
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