A boat carrying 185 refugees floats in the Indian Ocean. They are unable to enter any country due to engine failure and strict border surveillance in coastal countries. As a result, they are falling in the face of death. One person has already died. The United Nations has warned that many more are in critical condition. At the same time, the organization called for their rescue on an urgent basis. These Rohingya refugees made the perilous journey by boat from Bangladesh to Malaysia and Indonesia. But the engine broke down and now they are floating in the sea.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said last Saturday that around 185 Rohingyas who are in distress near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands need urgent rescue. Most of them are women and children.
UNHCR warns that many more Rohingya could die under surveillance by coastal countries without timely rescue and safe passage. It also called for increased rescue operations by coastal countries to prevent humanitarian disasters and loss of life.
More than 570 people, including these Rohingya refugees, have drowned or gone missing at sea in the last one year. A major tragedy can be prevented by timely efforts to save lives, UNHCR emphasized.
