Over 500 Rohingya feared dead after two boats go missing off Myanmar
More than 500 Rohingya refugees are feared dead after two boats reportedly disappeared off Myanmar's coast, the United Nations said on Thursday.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said two vessels carrying more than 500 people may have capsized after departing Myanmar's Rakhine State in late June. While the incidents have not been officially confirmed, the agencies described the reports as deeply alarming.
Dangerous journeys continue
One boat carrying about 250 people reportedly lost contact shortly after departure, while a second vessel with around 280 passengers is believed to have sunk off Myanmar's Ayeyarwady coast on July 8. Most of those on board were Rohingya, including refugees from camps in Bangladesh.
The UN said worsening conflict and humanitarian conditions in Myanmar, together with limited opportunities in refugee camps in Bangladesh, continue to force Rohingya to risk dangerous sea crossings.
More than 740,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh following Myanmar's 2017 military crackdown, which the United Nations described as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing."
Photo: UNHCR/Amanda Jufrian
