Full story
UN fears 500+ dead
The United Nations, through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR, warned that more than 500 people are feared dead after reports of two migrant boat incidents off Myanmar’s coast, with both vessels departing from Myanmar’s Rakhine state in late June.
Preliminary information described one boat carrying around 250 people that lost contact shortly after setting sail, while a second boat with approximately 280 passengers is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.
The UN said the voyages took place outside the regular sailing season, when maritime conditions are typically more hazardous, and added that recent torrential rain and flooding increased the risks for people attempting dangerous sea crossings.
UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh said the deaths were part of “a worrying trend that's been going on for some time now,” as the UN noted that nearly 300 people had already been reported missing or drowned in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal so far this year.
Calls for rescue, asylum
The UN’s joint alert said the passengers were mostly ethnic Rohingya people from Rakhine state, and it also noted that some had travelled from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where around one million Rohingya live.
UNHCR and IOM said the incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed, but the UNHCR and IOM statement warned they were “gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life.”
The UN agencies renewed their call for “enhanced search and rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and actions against smuggling and trafficking networks,” linking the tragedy to the wider humanitarian crisis facing Rohingya communities.
In the same joint statement, the UN said the situation in Cox’s Bazar is increasingly difficult because of “serious funding cuts,” while it also pointed to the “limited assistance and opportunities” in refugee camps in Bangladesh as contributing to people risking perilous sea journeys.
Regional death toll at risk
The UN agencies warned that if the latest shipwrecks are verified, the tragedy would add to the nearly 300 people already reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal so far this year, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals.
The UN also tied the risk of further deaths to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, describing a civil war ongoing linked to a military coup in February 2021, and it said the “limited assistance and opportunities” in refugee camps in Bangladesh have contributed to dangerous crossings.
The UN said the reports underscore the “devastating impact of protracted conflict and displacement” and the “continued lack of sustainable solutions for Rohingya communities,” while it urged governments to coordinate search and rescue and improve reception and protection.
The UN News report added that the agencies’ cooperation includes agreements such as the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, describing a “route-based approach” aimed to “save lives, protect people and reduce harm.”
