Nearly 900 Rohingya Refugees Dead or Missing in Sea Crossings Last Year: UN

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Geneva: Nearly 900 Rohingya refugees were reported dead or missing in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal during 2025, making it the deadliest year on record for Rohingya sea crossings, the UNHCR said on Friday.

UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch said more than 6,500 Rohingya attempted dangerous sea journeys last year, with around one in seven reported dead or missing.

He said the route now has the highest mortality rate worldwide among major refugee and migrant sea crossings.

Most Rohingya departures begin from overcrowded refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, where more than one million refugees who fled violence in Rakhine State live in difficult conditions.

Rakhine State has seen heavy fighting between Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army.

UNHCR estimates that nearly 200,000 Rohingya refugees have attempted such sea crossings since 2012, with more than 5,000 deaths over the past decade.

“This makes the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal an unmarked graveyard for thousands of desperate Rohingya refugees,” Baloch said.

So far in 2026, more than 2,800 Rohingya have already undertaken sea journeys between January and April 13, according to UNHCR.

The warning came after a boat carrying around 280 Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi migrants capsized in the Andaman Sea earlier this month.

The vessel, which left Teknaf on April 4 bound for Malaysia, reportedly sank due to rough weather, overcrowding and strong winds.

Bangladeshi authorities said nine people were rescued, while UNHCR estimates around 250 remain missing.

The UN agency urged countries in the region to address the causes of displacement, expand legal migration pathways and strengthen efforts against smuggling and human trafficking.