More than 500 refugees are missing off the coast of Myanmar after the possible capsize of two migrant boats, according to two UN organizations.
The boats set off from Myanmar’s coast in recent days, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UNHCR refugee agency said on Thursday.
One boat carrying around 250 people is said to have sunk on July 8 while contact with a second boat with about 280 people was lost shortly after departure. An IOM spokesman said there were no reports of survivors.
The information about the boats had come from affected families, news websites, and aid groups that UN organizations consider credible.
The refugees were apparently mostly Rohingya, members of the Muslim minority that have suffered persecution for decades in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.
They are also said to include people from the huge Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.
“While the incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed, UNHCR and IOM are gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life,” the organizations said.
“Escalating conflict and a worsening humanitarian situation in Myanmar, along with limited assistance and opportunities in refugee camps in Bangladesh, contribute to increasing numbers of people attempting perilous sea journeys in search of safety and protection,” the statement said.
More than 1 million Rohingya Muslims are living in the crowded camps in Cox’s Bazar.
Over 750,000 of them crossed the border into Bangladesh after the Myanmar military launched a crackdown against the minority group in August 2017. Many have subsequently taken dangerous boat trips in search of a better life, mostly in East Asian countries such as Thailand and Malaysia.