Staff Reporter :
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed grave concern over reports of two devastating maritime tragedies off the coast of Myanmar earlier this month, in which an estimated 427 Rohingya refugees are feared to have died.
In a statement issued on Friday, UNHCR described the incidents as the deadliest involving Rohingya refugees at sea in 2025.
The refugee agency said nearly one in five people attempting dangerous sea crossings in the region have been reported as dead or missing this year-making the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal among the world’s deadliest maritime routes.
Preliminary reports suggest that two boats, carrying a combined total of 514 Rohingya refugees, sank in separate incidents on 9 and 10 May.
The first vessel, with 267 people on board – many of whom had departed from refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, while others fled Rakhine State in Myanmar – capsized on 9 May, leaving just 66 survivors.
The second boat, carrying 247 people from similar origins, sank the following day, with only 21 rescued.
UNHCR is currently verifying survivor accounts, and there are reports of a third vessel, carrying 188 Rohingya, being intercepted after leaving Myanmar on 14 May.
Hai Kyung Jun, Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, stated: “The dire humanitarian situation, worsened by funding shortfalls, is having a devastating impact on Rohingya lives. Increasing numbers are undertaking perilous journeys in search of safety, protection and dignity.”
She added that the latest tragedy is a stark reminder of the urgent need for meaningful protection in countries of first asylum, and the importance of responsibility-sharing and coordinated action along maritime routes.
“Saving lives and rescuing those in distress at sea is a humanitarian imperative and a longstanding obligation under international maritime law,” she said.
The incidents occurred at the onset of the region’s annual monsoon season, when rough seas and heavy rainfall make sea voyages especially treacherous – underscoring the desperation of those willing to undertake such risks.
UNHCR has urged regional governments to take immediate steps to prevent further loss of life and to honour international obligations to rescue those in distress at sea.
The agency also called on the international community to support host countries, particularly Bangladesh and Malaysia, which together host the vast majority of Rohingya refugees.
As of 30 April 2025, UNHCR data indicates that 1,272,081 Rohingya remain officially displaced and stateless. Approximately 89 per cent are sheltering in Bangladesh, while 8.8 per cent are in Malaysia.
To sustain its life-saving operations across Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and within Myanmar, UNHCR has appealed for $383.1 million in funding for 2025. To date, only 30 per cent of that amount has been secured.
