The Voice News: At least 427 Rohingya refugees are feared dead after two boats capsized off the coast of Myanmar, according to the United Nations. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) stated in a press release on Friday (May 23) that, if confirmed, this would be the deadliest maritime disaster involving Rohingya refugees so far this year. The report was published by Al Jazeera.
UNHCR expressed deep concern over the incidents, which occurred on May 9 and 10. The agency is still working to verify the exact circumstances.
Preliminary reports indicate that a boat carrying 267 people capsized on May 9, with only 66 survivors. Another boat, carrying 247 people, sank on May 10, leaving just 21 survivors.
According to the statement, the Rohingya onboard may have been fleeing from the massive refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, or from Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
For decades, the minority Muslim Rohingya community in Myanmar has faced persecution. Every year, many risk their lives in unstable boats in hopes of escaping by sea.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi described the incidents as a tragic reminder of the extreme desperation among Rohingya refugees and the ongoing crisis facing those sheltered in Bangladesh.
In 2017, more than one million Rohingya fled to Bangladesh amid a brutal crackdown by the Myanmar military. At least 180,000 are currently at risk of being forcibly returned to Myanmar, where those who remain are confined in dire conditions in refugee camps.
Following a 2021 military coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, clashes between the Myanmar military and the ethnic rebel group Arakan Army have escalated in Rakhine.
UNHCR continues to provide assistance to Rohingya refugees in host countries, including Bangladesh, and to displaced people inside Myanmar. However, due to funding priorities in defense by the Trump administration and other Western governments, humanitarian agencies are facing severe financial constraints.
For 2025, only 30% of the agency’s requested $383 million in aid has been secured.
