Two Boats Sink, Over 500 Rohingya Feared Dead
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — A humanitarian tragedy has again struck the Rohingya ethnic group. The United Nations has stated that more than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying Rohingya refugees are believed to have sunk off the coast of Myanmar in recent days.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday (16/7/2026) that the two boats were carrying more than 500 passengers attempting to escape the prolonged conflict in Myanmar in search of safety and a better life.
According to a joint statement by the two UN agencies, both boats departed from Rakhine State, Myanmar, in late June.
“Based on preliminary information, the two boats departed from Rakhine State, Myanmar, in late June carrying mostly Rohingya passengers, including some who were reported to have come from refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh,” the joint IOM and UNHCR statement said, as quoted by Reuters.
The UN said more than 500 people are feared to have died in the incident.
“Although the incident and the number of victims cannot yet be officially confirmed, UNHCR and IOM are deeply concerned about the potentially large loss of life from this tragedy,” the statement continued.
For years, members of the Muslim Rohingya minority in Myanmar have risked their lives aboard rudimentary wooden boats to flee violence in their homeland and dire conditions in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.
They hope to reach countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand to obtain protection and better life opportunities.
The UN explained that the first boat was carrying around 250 people. It lost contact shortly after leaving Myanmar.
Meanwhile, the second boat, carrying around 280 people, is believed to have sunk in waters off Ayeyarwady, Myanmar, on 8 July.
According to the UN, both voyages took place outside the normal sailing season.
“These journeys took place outside the regular sailing season, when sea conditions are generally far more dangerous,” said IOM and UNHCR.
Bad weather conditions are believed to have increased the risk of accidents during the crossing, which has long been known to be extremely perilous for Rohingya refugees.
The UN also revealed that nearly 300 people have been reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal so far this year. The victims include Rohingya refugees as well as Bangladeshi nationals taking the dangerous sea route.
The wave of Rohingya fleeing by sea continues amid the absence of a permanent solution to the humanitarian crisis that has dragged on for years in Myanmar.
Armed conflict, violence against the Rohingya community, and increasingly difficult living conditions in Bangladeshi refugee camps continue to drive thousands of people to take enormous risks crossing the sea in rudimentary boats in search of a safer life.