Over 500 Feared Dead in Myanmar Boat Disasters

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have expressed grave concern over reports that two boats carrying more than 500 people may have capsized off the coast of Myanmar in recent days. The incidents, which occurred since the end of June, are feared to have resulted in the deaths of all on board.

Preliminary information suggests the two boats departed from Myanmar's Rakhine State in late June. The majority of passengers were reportedly from the Rohingya Muslim minority, many of whom fled Myanmar in 2017 when the military advanced into Rakhine State, displacing large numbers of the population. Some passengers were believed to have traveled from the sprawling refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, where over a million Rohingya live in dire conditions.

Contact was lost with the first boat, which is thought to have carried approximately 250 passengers, shortly after its departure. The second boat, with an estimated 280 people on board, is believed to have capsized off Myanmar's coast on July 8. The UN agencies are closely monitoring the situation and calling for urgent action to prevent further tragedies.