Over 500 Feared Dead in Myanmar Boat Sinking Tragedy, UN Agencies Say
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have reported that more than 500 people are believed to have died following the sinking of two boats off the coast of Myanmar. According to these agencies, these incidents rank among the deadliest maritime tragedies involving migrants in recent months.
According to initial information, the two boats departed from Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June. Most of the passengers were Rohingya Muslims, with others joining the journey from refugee camps in the Cox’s Bazar region of Bangladesh.
In a joint statement, the agencies said the first boat, carrying around 250 passengers, vanished shortly after departure. It is also believed that the second boat, with nearly 280 people on board, sank on July 8 off the Ayeyarwady region of Myanmar’s coast.
The United Nations emphasized that these voyages occurred outside the usual sailing season when sea conditions are typically more dangerous and the risk of fatal incidents is higher.
For years, the Rohingya have sought to escape violence and persecution in Myanmar, as well as the harsh living conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh, by attempting to reach countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, or Thailand in wooden boats.
According to statistics cited in the statement, since the beginning of this year, nearly 300 people—including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals—have gone missing or died in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
