More than 400 Rohingya refugees are feared to have drowned in two devastating shipwrecks off Myanmar’s coast earlier this month, in what the United Nations describes as potentially the deadliest maritime tragedy involving the group this year.

In a statement issued Friday, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed grave concern over the incidents, which occurred on May 9 and 10. 

Preliminary reports suggest one vessel carrying 267 people sank on May 9, with only 66 survivors. 

A second boat, reportedly carrying 247 Rohingya, capsized the following day, with just 21 survivors rescued.

“If confirmed, these would be the deadliest sea tragedies involving Rohingya refugees so far in 2024,” said the UNHCR.

The refugees on board were believed to be fleeing dire conditions in Bangladesh’s overcrowded Cox’s Bazar camps or escaping escalating violence in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, where the Rohingya face ongoing persecution.

UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi called the twin tragedies “a stark reminder of the desperate plight of the Rohingya,” highlighting the deteriorating conditions for refugees in Bangladesh amid dwindling international aid.

Since a brutal military crackdown in 2017 forced over a million Rohingya into Bangladesh, the group has remained stateless and vulnerable. 

Those who remained in Rakhine face severe restrictions on movement and access to services, compounded by renewed conflict between Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army.

Hai Kyung Jun, Director of UNHCR’s Asia-Pacific bureau, warned that worsening humanitarian conditions are pushing more Rohingya to undertake deadly sea journeys in search of safety and dignity.

According to UNHCR, 657 Rohingya have died in the region’s waters in 2024 alone.

Funding for humanitarian aid continues to plummet, with just 30% of UNHCR’s $383 million appeal for 2025 currently secured, hampering efforts to support Rohingya refugees both in host countries and within conflict-ravaged Myanmar.

Source: Al Jazeera 

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