More than 500 people are feared to have died after two boats carrying Rohingya refugees sank off the coast of Myanmar, according to two United Nations agencies.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the vessels left Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June carrying mostly Rohingya passengers, including some believed to have travelled from refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh.
More than 500 people are feared to have been aboard two boats that reportedly capsized off the coast of Myanmar.
— UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) July 16, 2026
Most were Rohingya passengers risking dangerous sea journeys in search of safety. We and IOM are deeply concerned by these reports and call for stronger efforts to… pic.twitter.com/FIvT4T4AfR
In a joint statement, the agencies said preliminary information suggested that more than 500 people were feared dead, although the incidents and the number of casualties had not yet been officially confirmed.
The first boat, carrying around 250 people, reportedly lost contact shortly after departing. A second vessel, with about 280 people on board, is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Irrawaddy coast on 8 July.
UNHCR and IOM said they were “gravely concerned” by what could be one of the deadliest maritime tragedies involving Rohingya refugees in recent years.
The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim minority from Myanmar, have long fled violence and persecution, often making dangerous sea crossings in overcrowded wooden boats in search of safety and work in countries including Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
According to the UN, nearly 900 Rohingya refugees died or went missing in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal last year, making the route one of the world’s deadliest for refugees and migrants.
The agencies said the latest journeys took place outside the usual sailing season, when rough seas make travel particularly dangerous.
The mass displacement of Rohingya people began in 2017, when a military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State forced hundreds of thousands to flee to Bangladesh. Myanmar has denied allegations of widespread abuses against the Rohingya and does not recognise them as citizens.
The humanitarian situation has worsened since Myanmar’s military seized power in a 2021 coup, triggering a civil conflict that has spread to Rakhine State.
UNHCR and IOM said nearly 300 Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals have already been reported dead or missing in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal this year.
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