Bangkok: Twenty-one people, including two teenage girls, have been confirmed dead after a boat carrying dozens of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar's Rakhine state sank in the Andaman Sea near the Thai-Malaysian border. As the rainy season ends, more Rohingya families are considering leaving Myanmar and Bangladesh, risking dangerous sea journeys in search of better lives.
According to Save the Children, these decisions are driven by unsafe conditions, lack of work, and bleak future prospects. Arshad Malik, Asia Regional Director of Save the Children, emphasized the risks, stating, "The decision to board these death boats in search of a better life comes with the knowledge that these journeys are fraught with danger and that they may never reach their intended destination."
Rohingya children face significant risks, often traveling unaccompanied and experiencing abuse at sea. Malik highlighted the tragic outcomes, noting that some children end up dead. The organization calls for regional cooperation to prevent further loss of life and protect vulnerable children and families.
Save the Children praised local communities in Malaysia for their life-saving efforts and urged regional governments to allow boats to safely disembark, providing assistance and protection to refugees. The incident highlights deteriorating conditions in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar, the world's largest refugee camp, where more than one million Rohingya refugees reside in overcrowded conditions, relying on humanitarian aid.
The number of Rohingya refugees embarking on sea journeys has increased, with 1,088 people, including 87 children, leaving Bangladesh in the first half of this year, compared to 364 during the same period last year.