UN agencies fear more than 500 lost in Myanmar boat incidents
IOM and UNHCR said two boats carrying mostly Rohingya passengers may have capsized after leaving Rakhine State in late June.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
More than 500 people may have died after two boats carrying mostly Rohingya passengers left Myanmar and ran into trouble at sea, United Nations agencies said Thursday. The reports point to another possible disaster on a route already described by the UN refugee agency as among the deadliest for refugees and migrants.
The International Organization for Migration and the UNHCR said their information was preliminary and that the incidents and death toll had not been officially confirmed. Both vessels had departed from Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June, the agencies said.
One boat was believed to have had about 250 people on board and lost contact soon after leaving, according to IOM and UNHCR. A second vessel, reportedly carrying about 280 people, is believed to have gone down off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8, the agencies said.
The agencies said they were concerned about what they called a potentially devastating loss of life. They called for stronger search-and-rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and action against smuggling and trafficking networks.
Monsoon seas add to the danger
UNHCR and IOM said Rohingya passengers usually try to avoid such journeys during the monsoon period, when sea conditions in the region are especially hazardous. The agencies said recent heavy rain and flooding would have made the crossings more dangerous.
Even before the latest reports, more than 300 people had been killed or listed as missing this year in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal, according to the agencies. That toll included Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals.
The Rohingya, a stateless and mostly Muslim minority, have fled Myanmar and refugee camps in Bangladesh by sea in large numbers in recent years, according to UN agencies and reporting by Al Jazeera and Reuters. Many attempt to reach Malaysia on unsafe boats.
About 1.2 million Rohingya remain in crowded camps in Bangladesh after earlier waves of violence by Myanmar’s security forces, according to the reporting. Aid cuts by the United States and other countries have contributed to reduced food rations in the camps.
Few safe options for Rohingya
Rohingya refugees have no safe route back to Myanmar, where the military remains in power in their homeland, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Rohingya still inside Myanmar face severe limits on movement, and many are held in internment camps, while fighting between the military and an armed group has continued in Rakhine State.
UNHCR and IOM said the latest reported incidents show the absence of durable solutions for Rohingya people stranded in Bangladesh and Myanmar. The agencies urged governments and donors to support refugees in Bangladesh’s camps and to prevent more deaths at sea.
UNHCR said more than 6,500 Rohingya fled by boat in 2025, while nearly 900 were reported dead or missing. The agency said that made 2025 the deadliest year for Rohingya boat departures and gave the route the highest mortality rate among major refugee and migrant sea crossings worldwide.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.