More than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying refugees reportedly capsized off the coast of Myanmar, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Thursday.
According to a joint statement, the vessels departed Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June carrying mostly Rohingya refugees, including some believed to have travelled from refugee camps in Bangladesh.
The UN agencies said the incidents and casualty figures have not yet been officially confirmed, but expressed grave concern over what could be one of the deadliest maritime tragedies involving Rohingya refugees in recent years.
“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 statement said.
For years, members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority have undertaken dangerous sea journeys aboard overcrowded wooden boats, fleeing violence and hardship in search of safety and better opportunities in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
The latest reports highlight the continuing humanitarian crisis facing the Rohingya, many of whom remain displaced by conflict or confined to overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.