International officials are warning that more than 500 people may have perished after two vessels carrying members of Myanmar’s Rohingya minority are believed to have gone down in the Bay of Bengal, according to a statement released Thursday.
Preliminary reports indicate both boats departed Myanmar’s western Rakhine state in late June. Passengers included Rohingya refugees, some of whom had traveled from refugee camps just across the border in Bangladesh. The information was released jointly by the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
One of the vessels, thought to have had roughly 250 people aboard, went silent shortly after setting out. The second boat, reportedly carrying 280 passengers, is believed to have sunk near Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.
The two agencies acknowledged that the full scope of the disaster has not yet been officially confirmed. “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,” they said in a joint statement.
The timing of the crossings is notable. Rohingya refugees typically avoid ocean travel during this period because monsoon season brings violent storms and treacherous sea conditions. The agencies pointed out that recent heavy rainfall and widespread flooding across the region would have made these particular journeys even more hazardous.
Approximately 1.2 million stateless Rohingya — most of them Muslim — remain confined to severely overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh, having fled repeated waves of violence carried out by Myanmar’s security forces. They have no safe path back to Myanmar, where the military remains in power. That same military was responsible for killing thousands of Rohingya in 2017, in what the United States has officially designated as genocide. Those Rohingya still living inside Myanmar face harsh restrictions and many are held in internment camps.
The situation in the camps has grown more dire in recent months. Cuts to foreign aid from the United States and other nations have forced reductions in food rations for camp residents. Meanwhile, ongoing fighting between Myanmar’s ruling military and an ethnic armed group in Rakhine has further destabilized the region.
As conditions worsen, growing numbers of Rohingya have been attempting the perilous sea voyage to Malaysia aboard overcrowded and unseaworthy boats. The death toll from these crossings has climbed into the thousands and has claimed the lives of infants, children, and pregnant women. Maritime authorities in the region have repeatedly failed to respond to distress calls, leaving refugees stranded at sea.
The IOM and UNHCR said Thursday’s reported tragedy once again exposes the absence of lasting solutions for the Rohingya people, and called on the global community to step up support for those stranded in Bangladesh’s camps.
“Stronger regional and international efforts are needed to prevent further loss of life along one of the world’s deadliest maritime routes, including through enhanced search and rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and actions against smuggling and trafficking networks,” the agencies stated.
So far in 2025, more than 6,500 Rohingya have attempted to flee by sea, with nearly 900 reported dead or missing — making it the deadliest year on record for Rohingya boat departures. The UNHCR noted that this route now carries the highest mortality rate of any major sea crossing used by refugees or migrants anywhere in the world.
