Over 500 Feared Dead in Two Suspected Shipwrecks Off Myanmar
More than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying migrants reportedly capsized off the coast of Myanmar, according to a joint statement by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The UN agencies said they were deeply alarmed by reports that two vessels carrying more than 500 people may have sunk in recent days, raising fears of one of the region’s deadliest maritime tragedies.
Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, but the number of confirmed survivors and casualties has not yet been established.
The IOM and UNHCR called for urgent humanitarian action and renewed efforts to protect refugees and migrants undertaking dangerous sea journeys in search of safety.
The incident highlights the growing risks faced by displaced people in the region, many of whom continue to rely on overcrowded and unsafe boats to flee conflict, persecution and hardship.
