UN fears more than 500 dead after two migrant boats sink off Myanmar Coast

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) say they had received reports of two separate boat incidents involving more than 500 passengers in recent days

GENEVA: (UrduPoint /UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-July 16th, 2026) The United Nations has warned that more than 500 people are feared dead after two boats carrying migrants reportedly capsized off the coast of Myanmar, in what could become one of the deadliest maritime tragedies involving Rohingya refugees in recent years.

In a joint statement, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said they had received reports of two separate boat incidents involving more than 500 passengers in recent days.

According to preliminary information, both vessels departed from Myanmar’s conflict-hit Rakhine State in late June. Most of those on board were believed to be members of the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority seeking to flee violence and hardship.

The UN agencies said some passengers had also departed from refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where more than one million Rohingya refugees continue to live in difficult humanitarian conditions after fleeing Myanmar.

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One of the boats, carrying around 250 people, reportedly disappeared shortly after setting sail. The second vessel, with approximately 280 passengers, is feared to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.

The IOM and UNHCR stressed that the incidents and the reported death toll have not yet been independently verified, and efforts are continuing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

The agencies also noted that the voyages took place during the monsoon season, when sea conditions are particularly hazardous. They warned that heavy rainfall and widespread flooding in the region have further increased the risks for people attempting dangerous sea crossings.

The United Nations renewed its call for greater protection of vulnerable refugees and migrants, urging coordinated international efforts to prevent further loss of life in the region.