The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has raised concern after over 400 Rohingya refugees died in two boat disasters near Myanmar this month.
In a Friday statement, UNHCR said a boat with 267 people from Cox’s Bazar and Rakhine State sank on May 9. Only 66 survived.
A second boat carrying 247 people capsized the next day. Just 21 survived. The total death toll reached 427.
On May 14, a third boat with 188 people was intercepted trying to leave Myanmar, showing rising desperation.
UNHCR also flagged reports of Rohingya being forced off an Indian navy ship into the Andaman Sea.
Dozens were reportedly blindfolded, flown to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, then forced to swim ashore.
Hai Kyung Jun, UNHCR’s Asia-Pacific director, said worsening humanitarian conditions and funding gaps are pushing Rohingya to risk dangerous sea travel.
She stressed the need for better protection in first-asylum countries and more global responsibility to stop such tragedies.
Jun added that one in five people on such routes this year has died or gone missing.
UNHCR data shows over 1.27 million Rohingya are still stateless and displaced as of April 30.
Nearly 89% are in Bangladesh and 8.8% in Malaysia.
Only 30% of the needed aid funding has been received so far.
