At least 180 Rohingya feared dead

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – A minimum of 180 ethnic Rohingya stranded at sea for weeks after leaving Bangladesh in November are feared lifeless, as their rickety boat is assumed to have sunk this month, the United Nations refugee company (UNHCR) stated.

Citing unconfirmed stories, the company stated the “unseaworthy” boat in all probability sank after it went lacking within the sea.

“Relations have misplaced contact,” the UNHCR wrote on Twitter on Saturday. “These final in contact presume all are lifeless.”

Greater than 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar reside in crowded camps in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, together with tens of 1000’s who fled Myanmar after its army carried out a lethal crackdown in 2017.

In Buddhist-majority Myanmar most Rohingya Muslims are denied citizenship and are are seen as interlopers, unlawful immigrants from South Asia.

In Bangladesh, nonetheless, they’ve hardly any entry to work.

Traffickers typically lure them to make perilous journeys with guarantees of labor in Southeast Asian nations like Malaysia.

Braving thirst, starvation and illness, refugees typically find yourself drifting in worldwide waters after leaving southern Bangladesh within the hope of discovering meals, jobs and shelter elsewhere in Asia.

Final week, two Myanmar Rohingya activist teams stated as much as 20 folks died of starvation or thirst on a ship that was stranded at sea for 2 weeks off India’s coast. The boat with no less than 100 folks was stated to be in Malaysian waters.

Earlier this month, the Sri Lankan navy rescued 104 Rohingya adrift off the Indian Ocean island’s northern coast.

The UNHCR has urged nations within the area to assist mitigate the humanitarian disaster, whereas the refugees themselves have made appeals to the world to not neglect their plight.

(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj; Modifying by Hugh Lawson)