The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has sounded an alarm for Rohingya refugees who have been floating on a boat in the Andaman Sea near Bangladesh for ten days. Human rights organization The Arakan Project said eight people on board had died.
The boat was washed away after the engine broke down about a week ago. Refugees have told UNHCR that there is barely any water and food on board and that many people are sick, partly due to the severe drought. The Commission said: “There is a need to take immediate action to save lives and prevent further tragedies.”
It is not known how many people are on the boat, the exact location of the boat, and the intended destination. The Indian Coast Guard says the boat is close to the Andaman Islands And nicoparin Floats around. Indian naval ships are said to have provided the refugees with some food and water, but as far as is known, the boat was not towed and no one was disembarked. The Indian Navy will issue a statement later today.
The boat departed from the Bengali city of Cox’s BazarAnd the Millions of Rohingya live in refugee camps. Over the past three years, tens of thousands of them have been forcibly expelled from neighboring Myanmar. “After years of isolation in Bangladesh and the recent coup in Myanmar, many Rohingya feel compelled to make this dangerous journey,” an Amnesty International spokesman told Reuters news agency.
