The United Nations has warned that more than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying mostly Rohingya refugees reportedly capsized off the coast of Myanmar in separate incidents since late June.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said they were deeply concerned by reports that the two vessels, carrying over 500 passengers, sank while attempting dangerous sea crossings in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
According to preliminary information, both boats departed from Myanmar’s conflict-hit Rakhine State, with most passengers believed to be members of the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority. Some of those onboard had reportedly travelled from the overcrowded refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where more than one million Rohingya refugees currently reside.
The UN agencies said one vessel, believed to be carrying around 250 people, lost contact shortly after leaving shore. A second boat, reportedly carrying approximately 280 passengers, is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.
While authorities have yet to officially confirm the incidents or casualty figures, the UN described the reports as potentially one of the deadliest maritime tragedies involving Rohingya refugees in recent years.
The agencies noted that the voyages occurred outside the normal sailing season, when rough seas and severe weather significantly increase the dangers of maritime travel. Heavy rainfall and flooding across the region have further worsened conditions.
If confirmed, the latest disaster would raise the number of Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals reported dead or missing in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal to nearly 800 this year, according to UN estimates.
Every year, thousands of Rohingya refugees risk dangerous sea journeys aboard overcrowded boats operated by human smuggling and trafficking networks in search of safety and better living conditions. According to UNHCR, nearly 900 Rohingya refugees were reported dead or missing during similar sea crossings in 2025 alone.
The UN agencies said the latest reports underscore the worsening humanitarian crisis caused by conflict in Myanmar, limited opportunities in refugee camps, and the continued exploitation of vulnerable people by human trafficking networks.
UNHCR and IOM called for intensified search and rescue operations, stronger action against human smugglers and traffickers, improved access to asylum, and sustained international support for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh.
