Nearly 900 Rohingya refugees were reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal in 2025, making it the deadliest year on record for the migration route, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said more than one in seven of an estimated 6,500 Rohingya who attempted the sea crossing last year were reported missing or dead, marking the highest mortality rate globally for refugee and migrant sea journeys.
UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told reporters in Geneva that the dangerous crossings have continued into 2026, with more than 2,800 Rohingya attempting the journey by April 13 this year. He added that in recent years, more than half of those undertaking the voyage have been women and children.
“No one would put their family on a risky boat, knowing that the chances of survival are really low, if the sense of desperation is not there,” Baloch said.
The UN agency said the deadly journeys are part of a prolonged humanitarian crisis driven by conflict in Myanmar and worsening conditions in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh. Many refugees attempt to reach safety in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
This week, UN agencies reported that around 250 people went missing after a boat departing from Teknaf in southern Bangladesh capsized in the Andaman Sea.
Baloch also warned that global donor funding cuts are worsening conditions for the roughly one million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, increasing desperation among displaced communities.
UNHCR has appealed for $200 million in aid this year to support refugees living in camps in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char, but has so far received only 32% of the required funding.
According to UNHCR, more than 1.3 million Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers remain displaced across the region, including about 1.2 million in Bangladesh alone.