Two vessels, believed to have capsized near Myanmar’s coast in recent days, carried over 500 refugees, according to UN agencies. The refugees aboard these boats primarily consisted of ethnic Rohingya from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, with some reportedly originating from camps in Bangladesh. The international organization for migration (IMO) and the UN refugee agency have issued a joint statement with preliminary details, estimating that the death toll exceeds 500.
Casualty numbers have not yet been officially verified, but UNHCR and IOM express serious concern over the possible large-scale loss of life. Driven from their homes by violence and living conditions in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh, the Rohingya minority have long risked their lives on fragile boats in hopes of reaching safety and better chances of livelihood in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Last year saw nearly 900 Rohingya lost or missing at sea in what has become the deadliest maritime route for refugees and migrants worldwide, according to the UN. The recent incidents involved a boat with approximately 250 people that lost contact shortly after setting sail, and another carrying around 280 individuals that is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Irrawaddy coast on July 8. These journeys occurred outside the usual safe sailing season, when sea conditions are typically more dangerous.
The Rohingya fleeing Rakhine began their exodus in 2017 after the Myanmar military launched an offensive in the border region, forcing at least 730,000 to seek refuge in neighboring Bangladesh. Despite Myanmar denying abuses against the Rohingya, the government refuses to recognize them as citizens, labeling them as illegal immigrants.
The crisis deepened following Myanmar’s military coup in 2021, which ignited a widespread civil war involving Rakhine State, with the Rohingya caught in the crossfire between government forces and the insurgent Arakan Army. According to UN reports, nearly 300 individuals are believed to be missing or dead at sea this year, including both Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals. In November, a boat carrying members of the Rohingya community sank near Langkawi, close to the Thailand-Malaysia border, leaving about a dozen survivors.