Record number of Rohingya refugees died at sea in 2022, UNHCR reports

The UN refugee agency has reported that nearly 900 Rohingya refugees were dead or missing in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea in 2025, marking the deadliest year for maritime movements in South and Southeast Asia. The spokesperson described the region as an “unmarked graveyard” for the Rohingya, with around 5,000 estimated to have drowned over the past decade. Despite ongoing conflict and persecution in Myanmar, over 2,800 Rohingya have attempted dangerous sea crossings in 2026 in search of refuge in Malaysia and Indonesia.

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