427 Rohingya Muslims fleeing refugee camps in Bangladesh and Myanmar’s Rakhine feared dead in two boat tragedies near Myanmar coast, says UNHCR

As many as 427 Rohingya are feared dead in twin boat tragedies two weeks ago near the Myanmar coast. As per The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), if confirmed, this will be the deadliest tragedy at sea involving Rohingya refugees attempting to flee this year.

While details are not confirmed yet, the UNHCR said in a statement on Friday that two boats carrying around 514 Rohingya Muslims sunk in the sea, taking down majority of the passengers. One boat was carrying 267 people, around half of them were from the massive refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, while the rest were people fleeing persecution in the Rakhine State in Myanmar. This boat sank on 9^th May, and only 66 out of the total 267 survived.

The second boat also carried refugees from Cox’s Bazar camps and Myanmar’s Rakhine, totalling 247 Rohingya Muslims. The second boat reportedly capsized on 10^th May, with only 21 survivors. Therefore, it is feared that out of 514 people, only 87 people survived, leaving 427 dead.

It has been assumed that the boats could not face the strong winds, rainfall and rough seas, as the annual monsoon has arrived in the region. UNHCR said that the boats were travelling at a particularly dangerous time, reflecting the desperation of those making such journeys.

The statement said that a third boat carrying 188 Rohingya was intercepted leaving Myanmar on 14 May.

“The dire humanitarian situation, exacerbated by funding cuts, is having a devastating impact on the lives of Rohingya, with more and more resorting to dangerous journeys to seek safety, protection and a dignified life for themselves and their families,” said Hai Kyung Jun, Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.

427 Rohingya people are reported dead in two tragic shipwrecks in the Indian Ocean —- a reminder of the desperate situation of discriminated Rohingya communities in Myanmar, and of the hardship faced by refugees in Bangladesh as humanitarian aid dwindles. https://t.co/d28u4Cv8Vl

— Filippo Grandi (@FilippoGrandi) May 23, 2025

In a post on X, UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said, “427 Rohingya people are reported dead in two tragic shipwrecks in the Indian Ocean —- a reminder of the desperate situation of discriminated Rohingya communities in Myanmar, and of the hardship faced by refugees in Bangladesh as humanitarian aid dwindles.” UNHCR said that it requires $383.1 million in 2025 to stabilize the lives of refugees and their host communities across Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and those displaced inside Myanmar. So far, only 30 per cent of this amount has been received, the statement added.

News