The UN agencies reported that the trawler, which was carrying around 250 men, women, and children, sank amid severe winds, turbulent seas, and overcrowding. It had set sail from Teknaf in southern Bangladesh, heading towards Malaysia.
“This tragedy underscores the tragic human implications of prolonged displacement and the persistent lack of sustainable solutions for the Rohingya,” stated the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees along with the International Organization for Migration.
For years, many members of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority have taken to fragile wooden boats in attempts to reach neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, seeking to escape persecution in Myanmar or overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.
The agencies urged the international community to enhance and maintain funding for critical support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, as well as to assist Bangladeshi host communities.
In 2017, Myanmar’s military launched an operation that displaced at least 730,000 Rohingya, forcing them to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, where they reported incidents of killings, mass rape, and arson. A U.N. fact-finding mission determined that the 2017 military crackdown involved “genocidal acts”.
Myanmar, which has a Buddhist majority, has rejected claims of genocide, asserting that the U.N. fact-finding mission was neither objective nor credible.
