Rohingya refugees increasingly driven to dangerous boat journeys, UN says
GENEVA - Dire humanitarian conditions in Myanmar and Bangladesh are driving more Rohingya to risk dangerous boat journeys to safety, such as one in May that ended in a sinking and estimates of 427 deaths, the UN refugee agency said on May 23.
The minority community's plight might have been worsened by aid funding cuts, the agency added.
The humanitarian sector has been roiled by funding reductions from major donors, led by the US under President Donald Trump, and other Western countries as they prioritise defence spending prompted by growing fears of Russia and China.
Two boats carrying some 514 Rohingya sank on May 9 and May 10, carrying refugees who were thought to have left from refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, and Rakhine State in Myanmar. Only 87 survivors were found, UNHCR said. The possible deaths of 427 people would make it the deadliest tragedy at sea involving Rohingya refugees so far this year, according to the agency.
That people chose to board boats during the annual monsoon season, which brings dangers such as strong winds and rough seas, reflected their desperation, the agency added.
"The dire humanitarian situation, exacerbated by funding cuts, is having a devastating impact on the lives of Rohingya, with more and more resorting to dangerous journeys to seek safety, protection and a dignified life for themselves and their families,' said Ms Hai Kyung Jun, Director of UNHCR's Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.
"The latest tragedy is a chilling reminder that access to meaningful protection, especially in countries of first asylum, as well as responsibility sharing and collective efforts along sea routes, are essential to saving lives," Ms Kyung Jun added.
The agency urged more financial support to stabilise the lives of Rohingya refugees in host countries including Bangladesh, and those displaced inside Myanmar. Its request for US$383.1 million (S$494.4 million) for support in 2025 is currently only 30 per cent funded, it said.
UNHCR received over US$2 billion in donations from the United States in 2024, or 40 per cent of its total donations.
A UNHCR spokesperson said that in March it had frozen more than US$300 million of planned activities as part of cost-saving. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Old man in China built a lift to get home, but had to tear it down after video went viral
The lift, that resembled a cable car with a seat and a few buttons inside, worked on a pulley system that linked the man's apartment to a lamp post across the street. PHOTO: DUSHI PINDAO/REDNOTE The lift, that resembled a cable car with a seat and a few buttons inside, worked on a pulley system that linked the man's apartment to a lamp post across the street. PHOTO: DUSHI PINDAO/REDNOTE Old man in China built a lift to get home, but had to tear it down after video went viral An old man in northeast China who needed a lift up to his apartment on the 5th floor of a lift-less building decided to take matters into his own hands - by building one himself from scratch. That was in 2020 when the man from Huludao city in Liaoning province felt that age was catching up with him. But five years later in 2025, the authorities also caught up with him. That was because the lift system he assembled did not comply with China's Special Equipment Safety Law that covers machinery such as lifts, passenger ropeways and large carnival rides. His suspended lift, that resembled a cable car with a seat and a few buttons inside, worked on a pulley system that linked his apartment to a lamp post across the street, reported Chinese media outlets. On June 2, a video of an interview showing the man - whose name and age were unknown - demonstrating his invention went viral, and caught the attention of the authorities. In the interview, he said his lift was not a nuisance to the neighbours because it moved silently, and he did not use it after 8pm. The man said he found it inconvenient for old people to walk up and down the stairs due to the lack of a lift, and that spurred him to build one at a cost of more than 7,000 yuan (S$1,250). He even successfully applied for a patent for his innovation. But on June 3, he dismantled the lift after he was repeatedly asked by local authorities to do so for his own safety as well as the residents' in the area. Naysayers on Chinese social media Weibo felt that the installation was dangerous for a residential area, and expressed concerns that the metal parts will get corroded by weather. But there were also some who supported the man's innovativeness. 'It can still be used after modification for safety,' wrote one Weibo user, adding that the authorities should not remove it for 'no rhyme or reason'. Another user said: 'I want to get one for my granny too, so that she can make her way up and down easily. Now, she can't even leave the house.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Earthquake damages part of Pompeii site in southern Italy
ROME - A minor earthquake in southern Italy has caused the partial collapse of a wall and a portion of a vault at the Pompeii archaeological site, authorities said on Thursday. The quake with a magnitude of 3.2 on Thursday morning was the latest in a series of tremors centred on the nearby Campi Flegrei super volcano close to the city of Naples. The affected area of Pompeii had been damaged in a major earthquake that hit southern Italy in 1980 and had since been shored up and restored. There were no frescoes or movable relics in the damaged structure and no one was injured. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the site's director, said checks were being carried out to ensure no other areas had been affected. The ancient settlement of Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it will open two aid distribution centers on Thursday
Palestinians carry aid supplies which they received from the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 3, 2025, in this screengrab taken from video. Reuters TV via REUTERS/ File Photo U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it will open two aid distribution centers on Thursday DUBAI - U.S-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said it will open two aid distribution centers on Thursday. GHF had said earlier that its sites would not open at their usual time due to maintenance and repair work. It did not say when aid distribution would resume. The group, which has been fiercely criticised by humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations, began distributing aid last week. The U.N. has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the enclave. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
