More than 500 feared dead after reports of two shipwrecks off Myanmar, UN says
More than 500 feared dead after reports of two shipwrecks off Myanmar, UN says
More than 500 feared dead after reports of two shipwrecks off Myanmar, UN says
The United Nations has expressed alarm over reports of two large shipwrecks off the coast of Myanmar, with more than 500 people feared dead. The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) and its refugee agency UNHCR stated that preliminary information indicates the two vessels departed from Myanmar’s Rakhine state in late June, carrying mainly members of the country’s mostly Muslim Rohingya minority.
According to the UN agencies, one boat, believed to have been carrying about 250 people, lost contact shortly after departure. A second boat, reportedly carrying about 280 people, is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8. 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 Rohingya, who have fled Myanmar and Bangladesh’s refugee camps by the thousands in recent years, typically avoid such boat journeys at this time of year due to frequent monsoons and hazardous sea conditions. Recent torrential rain and flooding across the region have further increased the risks associated with such sea movements.
Around 1.2 million stateless, predominantly Muslim Rohingya remain trapped in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh, with no way to safely return to Myanmar. The military that killed thousands of Rohingya in 2017 remains in charge of their homeland, and those still living in Myanmar face severe restrictions and are often confined to internment camps.
The IOM and UNHCR have urged the international community to support those trapped in Bangladesh’s camps and to take action to prevent further loss of life along one of the world’s deadliest maritime routes. The agencies have called for enhanced search and rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and actions against smuggling and trafficking networks.
The latest potential tragedy at sea underscores the continued lack of sustainable solutions for the Rohingya and the devastating impact of protracted conflict and displacement. The UNHCR has reported that nearly 900 Rohingya refugees were reported missing or dead at sea in the northern Indian Ocean last year alone, out of more than 6,500 who had attempted such perilous sea crossings.
