At least 250 individuals, comprising Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi citizens, have been reported missing following a boat capsizing incident in the Andaman Sea en route to Malaysia. The United Nations’ refugee and migration agencies confirmed this occurrence.
While specific details are scarce, the Bangladesh Coast Guard spokesperson, Lt. Com. Sabbir Alam Suzan, informed The Associated Press on Wednesday that a total of nine individuals, including three Rohingya and six Bangladeshis, were rescued on April 9. The Bangladesh flag carrier M.T. Meghna Pride rescued these individuals after spotting them adrift at sea post-capsize.
The circumstances surrounding the sinking of the boat and any ongoing search efforts remain unclear at present.
The UN high commissioner for refugees and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) released a joint statement on Tuesday, revealing that the trawler departed from Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, with numerous passengers bound for Malaysia. The agencies attributed the overcrowding, severe winds, and rough seas as factors leading to the loss of control and subsequent sinking of the vessel.
Shari Nijman, a communication officer for UNCHR in Cox’s Bazar, mentioned that no further updates were available as of Wednesday.
An additional coast guard official communicated to The Associated Press via phone that the rescued individuals, comprising eight men and one woman, were safely handed over to the coast guard and subsequently brought to the authorities in Teknaf.
The rescue operation was not part of an official search mission as it occurred beyond Bangladesh’s territorial waters. The M.T. Meghna Pride crew rescued the individuals while en route to Indonesia from Chittagong, Bangladesh.
The risky sea journey undertaken by the missing individuals was highlighted by UNHCR and IOM as a consequence of the prolonged displacement of Rohingya individuals and the lack of enduring solutions. Ongoing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state has cast uncertainty on the safe repatriation of Rohingya refugees, leading them to opt for perilous sea voyages in pursuit of improved livelihoods abroad based on false promises.
UNHCR and IOM have called upon the international community to bolster funding and support to provide essential aid to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, where over 1 million Rohingya have sought refuge from Myanmar.