UNHCR: 427 Rohingya Lost at Sea, Urges Immediate Action

Arakan Now - 23 May 2025

427 Rohingya are feared dead after two boats sank in early May while trying to escape from Cox’s Bazar and Rakhine State. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says this is the deadliest Rohingya sea tragedy of 2025.

The first boat sank on 9 May with 267 people. Only 66 survived. The second boat capsized on 10 May with 247 on board. Just 21 made it out alive. A third boat with 188 people was intercepted on 14 May while leaving Myanmar.

Most of the passengers were Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh and internally displaced people from Rakhine. They were trying to reach safety despite the dangerous sea conditions brought on by the monsoon season.

UNHCR says nearly 1 in every 5 Rohingya who attempted sea journeys this year are dead or missing. The agency blames extreme desperation, growing insecurity, and shrinking humanitarian aid.

Hai Kyung Jun, UNHCR’s Asia-Pacific Director, said funding cuts and lack of protection are forcing Rohingya to risk their lives at sea. UNHCR warned that the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea are now among the world’s deadliest waters for refugees.

UNHCR is calling on regional governments to uphold their duty to rescue people at sea and on the international community to step up support. Until conditions in Rakhine improve, the agency says Rohingya need urgent help where they are.

UNHCR needs $383.1 million to support Rohingya in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and across Southeast Asia in 2025. So far, only 30% of that funding has been received.

Based fully on the official statement from UNHCR.