A record number of Rohingya refugees, estimated at 5,000, have tragically perished at sea in the past decade. UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch described the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal as an unmarked graveyard for these desperate individuals, speaking in Geneva.
Since 2012, close to 200,000 Rohingya refugees have embarked on perilous sea voyages in a bid to escape hardship and persecution. In 2017, a massive exodus of Rohingya from Myanmar to Bangladesh occurred, with the UN human rights chief at the time, Zeid Ra‘ad al-Hussein, labeling the persecution as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.
Recently, the UNHCR reported that hundreds of Rohingya are missing and feared drowned following a shipwreck in the Andaman Sea on April 8, near Bangladesh, where many from the persecuted minority have sought refuge.
Speaking on the situation, Baloch emphasized that although most Rohingya refugees aspire to return to Myanmar under safe and voluntary conditions, the prevailing conflict, persecution, and lack of citizenship prospects offer them little hope. He warned that without hope, more lives could be lost in risky sea journeys undertaken out of desperation.
As the deadly sea crossings show no signs of abating, UNHCR aims to draw attention to the record death toll in the hope that the world will acknowledge the plight of the Rohingya both within Myanmar and in refugee camps. Baloch urged global action to find solutions for these desperate refugees, to prevent 2026 from becoming another deadly year.
