Two boats carrying Rohingya refugees reportedly capsized after leaving Myanmar and Bangladesh camps. UN agencies say the possible mass deaths expose the worsening desperation driving perilous sea escapes.
More than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya minority reportedly capsized in the Bay of Bengal, according to officials. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Thursday that the incidents and casualty figures had not yet been officially confirmed, but they were deeply worried by the possible scale of the loss.
According to preliminary information, the two boats left Myanmar’s western Rakhine state in late June, carrying mostly Rohingya passengers. Some of them had travelled from refugee camps across the border in Bangladesh. One boat, believed to have had around 250 people on board, lost contact shortly after departure, while a second boat, reportedly carrying 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 agencies said.
The Rohingya, who have in recent years fled both Myanmar and Bangladesh’s refugee camps by the thousands, do not usually make such sea journeys at this time of year because monsoon conditions make the route especially dangerous. The UNHCR and IOM said recent torrential rain and flooding across the region would have made the crossings even riskier.
Around 1.2 million stateless, predominantly Muslim Rohingya remain in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing waves of violence by Myanmar’s security forces. The refugees have no safe way to return to Myanmar, where the military that killed thousands of Rohingya in 2017 during what the United States declared a genocide remains in control. Rohingya still in Myanmar face severe restrictions, and many are confined to internment camps.
The agencies said cuts in foreign aid by the US and other countries had led to ration cuts in Bangladesh’s refugee camps. At the same time, fighting between Myanmar’s ruling military and an ethnic armed organisation in Rakhine has pushed more Rohingya to attempt the dangerous sea crossing to Malaysia on fragile boats.
Thousands have died on the route, including babies, children and pregnant women. Local maritime authorities have often abandoned Rohingya at sea and ignored reports of boats in distress. The IOM and UNHCR said the latest possible tragedy showed the continuing lack of lasting solutions for the Rohingya and urged the international community to support those trapped in camps in Bangladesh.
“Stronger regional and international efforts are needed to prevent further loss of life along one of the world’s deadliest maritime routes, including through enhanced search and rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and actions against smuggling and trafficking networks,” the agencies said. They added that more than 6,500 Rohingya fled by boat and nearly 900 were reported dead or missing in 2025, making it the deadliest year so far for Rohingya attempting such journeys. The UNHCR said this was the highest mortality rate among major refugee and migrant sea routes in the world.
The reported sinking of the two boats has once again drawn attention to the dangers faced by Rohingya fleeing conflict, restrictions and worsening conditions in refugee camps, with the UN agencies warning of a potentially massive loss of life.
With PTI Inputs
