Rohingya refugees risk deadly stretch of water

More than 550 Rohingya were reported dead or missing after attempting dangerous boat crossings to countries in South East Asia in 2023, according to a new statement by the UN Refugee Agency, marking the highest number of deaths since 2014. The predominantly Muslim ethnic group, who fled Myanmar to escape persecution and violence, has increasingly been embarking on journeys across the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, now mainly escaping hopeless refugee camps in Bangladesh. This has become one of the deadliest stretches of water in the world, with around 12 per cent of people dying out of those attempting to cross (the death rate in the Central Mediterranean was 1 per cent in 2023, although 2,145 was the actual number of people reported dead or missing). The majority of Rohingya crossing were children and women, with common reports of abuse and gender-based violence.