The United Nations refugee agency has launched an investigation into reports that two boats carrying members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya minority sank in the Bay of Bengal.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees announced in a statement Tuesday that the vessels reportedly left Myanmar’s western Rakhine state in late June before going down.
“We are deeply concerned by the potential loss of life and are working to verify further details,” the UNHCR said in its statement.
The agency has not released additional information, including how many people were believed to be aboard the boats or where exactly they sank.
Approximately 1.2 million stateless Rohingya — who are predominantly Muslim — remain stranded in overcrowded, squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh. They fled after repeated waves of violence carried out by Myanmar’s security forces.
The refugees have no safe path back to Myanmar, where the military — which killed thousands of Rohingya in 2017 in what the United States officially declared a genocide — continues to control the country. Rohingya who remain in Myanmar face severe restrictions on their movement and many are held in internment camps.
Deep cuts to foreign aid from the U.S. and other nations have resulted in food ration reductions at the refugee camps in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, fighting between Myanmar’s ruling military and an ethnic armed group in Rakhine has further destabilized the region.
The ongoing turmoil has pushed a growing number of Rohingya to attempt the treacherous sea journey to Malaysia on unsafe, makeshift boats. Thousands are reported to have died making that crossing, including infants, children, and pregnant women. Maritime authorities in the region have frequently left boats in distress unassisted, ignoring calls for help.
“Saving lives and rescuing those in distress at sea is a humanitarian imperative and a longstanding duty under international maritime law,” the UNHCR stated Tuesday, calling on nations to strengthen search and rescue operations and urging regional governments and the international community to do more.
The UNHCR said that more than 6,500 Rohingya fled and nearly 900 were reported dead or missing in 2025, making it the deadliest year on record for Rohingya attempting to leave by boat. The agency noted that this represents the highest mortality rate of any major sea route used by refugees and migrants anywhere in the world.
So far this year, more than 5,400 Rohingya have fled by boat, with 540 reported dead or missing.
