The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expressed deep concern on Thursday regarding reports that two boats carrying over 500 passengers may have capsized near Myanmar's coast in recent days. According to preliminary reports, the vessels departed Myanmar's Rakhine State in late June, carrying primarily Rohingya people, some of whom had reportedly traveled from refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
One boat, believed to have been carrying around 250 people, lost contact shortly after departing. The second boat, which was reportedly carrying around 280 people, is believed to have sunk off the coast of Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady region on July 8.
If these reports are verified, this tragedy would add to the nearly 300 missing or deceased Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal this year. The incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed. However, UNHCR and IOM have expressed grave concern about the potentially devastating loss of life.
The agencies also noted that these sea journeys took place outside the regular sailing season when maritime conditions are typically more hazardous. Recent torrential rain and flooding across the region have further increased the risks associated with such sea travel.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres shared similar concerns and expressed deep sadness regarding the reports, according to his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, briefing journalists in New York on Thursday.
"These reports underscore the devastating impact of prolonged conflict and displacement, as well as the lack of sustainable solutions for Rohingya communities," Dujarric said.
"Escalating conflict and a worsening humanitarian situation in Myanmar, along with limited assistance and opportunities in refugee camps in Bangladesh, are driving increasing numbers of people to attempt dangerous sea journeys in search of safety."
In 2025, more than 6,500 Rohingya refugees embarked on dangerous maritime journeys from Bangladesh and Myanmar. Over 890 of them lost their lives, according to IOM. Deaths and disappearances in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal increased by over 40 percent from 2024 to 2025.
This dangerous trend has continued into 2026. In April of this year, a vessel carrying over 270 people, many of whom were Rohingya refugees, capsized, leaving only nine survivors. Such incidents highlight the risks posed by smuggling and trafficking networks that exploit people's desperation to find safety.
UNHCR and IOM stated that stronger regional and international efforts are necessary to prevent further loss of life along one of the world's deadliest maritime routes. These efforts should include enhanced search and rescue operations, improved access to asylum and protection, and actions against smuggling and trafficking networks.
The UN organizations added that they are coordinating with national authorities to bolster the protection and support of refugees, migrants, and stateless individuals traveling along major corridors, particularly in South and Southeast Asia.
In 2017, Myanmar’s security forces carried out a campaign of mass atrocities in Rakhine State. Beginning in August of that year, hundreds of villages were burned and Rohingya men, women, and children were killed throughout northern Rakhine State—a campaign that has been widely described as ethnic cleansing.
At least 740,000 Rohingya refugees fled to Bangladesh, joining the hundreds of thousands who had previously fled the country. Nearly nine years later, Rohingya communities—both those in exile and those remaining in Myanmar—face an additional deterioration of their already dire circumstances.
An independent international fact-finding mission on Myanmar documented evidence of genocide and crimes against humanity. Yet, no one in Myanmar has been held accountable for the crimes committed against the Rohingya. UN-appointed investigators have launched new inquiries into alleged atrocities committed against multiple communities in the region as fighting continues.
Currently, around 1.2 million Rohingya refugees live in the sprawling, makeshift camps of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, the world's largest refugee settlement. Conditions are rapidly deteriorating. Aid cuts have reduced access to food, healthcare, education, and protective services.
Without renewed funding, humanitarian agencies warn that food assistance could be further reduced, putting more lives at risk. Health and nutrition services are declining, and shortages of clean water and sanitation are increasing the likelihood of disease outbreaks, particularly during the monsoon season.
Since mid-2024, more than 150,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh due to escalating violence in Rakhine State resulting from the civil war that followed the 2021 military takeover. Rohingya civilians currently face threats from both the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups competing for control of the region.
Those who have fled to Bangladesh face bleak prospects for a safe, voluntary, and dignified return, as civilians in Rakhine State are caught in the ongoing conflict and subjected to forced recruitment, human rights violations, and severe movement restrictions. Meanwhile, aid blockages have worsened food insecurity and health conditions.