Myanmar (Monitoring Desk) — A major humanitarian tragedy is feared after two boats carrying more than 500 people capsized near the coast of Myanmar, with concerns that all passengers may have lost their lives.
According to United Nations agencies, Rohingya refugees affected by conflict and insecurity were taking dangerous sea routes in search of a safer future and better opportunities.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a joint statement that preliminary information indicated both boats had departed from Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June, carrying mostly Rohingya refugees.
The statement said that some passengers had reportedly begun their journey from refugee camps located in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
The two UN agencies said that although official confirmation of the incidents and casualties is still pending, they remain deeply concerned over the possibility of a large-scale loss of human lives.