Myanmar boat capsizes kill over 500 Rohingya refugees, UN says

The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned that two boats carrying Rohingya refugees capsized off Myanmar’s coast, with more than 500 people feared dead. Preliminary information indicates the vessels left Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June, one with about 250 passengers and the other with around 280, the latter sinking off the Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.

The UN agencies said, “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 trips took place outside the regular sailing season, amid monsoon rains and flooding that made the waters especially hazardous. Nearly 300 people have already been reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal this year.

The Rohingya, about 1.2 million of whom remain in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution in Myanmar, often attempt such dangerous sea crossings to reach Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand. The agencies called for enhanced search‑and‑rescue efforts, stronger protection for refugees and action against smuggling networks, urging the international community to sustain support for displaced Rohingya and host communities.