The UN migration and refugee agencies are raising alarms over two boats that capsized off Myanmar's coast, with at least 500 people feared dead. The vessels, carrying mostly ethnic Rohingya, set sail from Rakhine state in late June. One boat with 250 people lost contact shortly after departure; another with 280 people is believed to have sunk off the Ayeyarwady coast on July 8. The passengers were fleeing decades of persecution, with some traveling from Cox's Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh, which hosts around one million Rohingya who fled violence in 2017.

UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh noted this is part of a worrying trend, with nearly 300 people already reported missing or drowned in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal this year. Recent torrential rain and flooding have made these dangerous sea crossings even riskier. The agencies pointed to the worsening humanitarian situation in Myanmar due to the civil war following the 2021 military coup, and limited opportunities in Bangladeshi refugee camps, driving people to perilous journeys. A recent UN human rights report highlighted foreign arms supplies to Myanmar's military and warned that aid cuts threaten civilian protection efforts.

UNHCR and IOM support search and rescue coordination across the Asia-Pacific, including through the Bali Process, aiming to save lives and protect people on the move. “This route-based approach aims to save lives, protect people and reduce harm,” the agencies stressed, though one might note that the routes themselves seem to be doing the opposite.