UN says more than 500 feared dead after reported shipwrecks off Myanmar

The United Nations warned Thursday that more than 500 people were feared dead after reports of two large shipwrecks off Myanmar since late June.

The International Organization for Migration and UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said in a joint statement that two boats carrying more than 500 people may have capsized off Myanmar in recent days. The agencies said preliminary information indicated that both vessels left Myanmar's Rakhine State in late June, mainly carrying members of the country's mostly Muslim Rohingya minority.

Some passengers had reportedly travelled from the large camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar, where more than a million Rohingya refugees who fled Rakhine live in poor conditions.

The agencies said one boat, believed to have been carrying about 250 people, lost contact shortly after departure. A second boat, reportedly carrying about 280 people, was believed to have sunk off Myanmar's Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.

IOM and UNHCR said the incidents and casualty figures had not been officially confirmed, but that they were deeply concerned by the possible loss of life. They said the journeys took place outside the regular sailing season, when maritime conditions are usually more dangerous, and that recent torrential rain and flooding had further increased the risks.

The agencies said that, if verified, the reported tragedy would add to nearly 300 people reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal so far this year, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals.

Rohingya people undertake dangerous sea journeys each year in search of better living conditions, often travelling on unsafe boats operated by trafficking networks. UNHCR said nearly 900 Rohingya refugees were reported missing or dead at sea in the northern Indian Ocean last year, among more than 6,500 who attempted such crossings.

IOM and UNHCR said escalating conflict and worsening humanitarian conditions in Myanmar, along with limited assistance and opportunities in refugee camps in Bangladesh, were contributing to more people attempting dangerous sea journeys. They also said smuggling and trafficking networks continued to exploit people seeking safety.

The agencies called for stronger search and rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and action against smuggling and trafficking networks. They also praised Bangladesh for hosting Rohingya refugees over many years and called for sustained international support for refugees and host communities, as well as more efforts to address the causes of forced displacement.