JAKARTA - The United Nations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday, April 15, that about 250 Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals were feared dead or missing after an overcrowded trawler sank in the Andaman Sea while sailing from Teknaf in Bangladesh to Malaysia.

In Geneva, IOM said the vessel went down on April 9 because of “heavy winds, rough seas, and overcrowding.” At the UN noon briefing in New York, UN spokesman Farhan Haq said the boat “reportedly sank last Thursday due to rough seas, strong winds and overcrowding.”

Mohammedali Abunajela, IOM spokesperson, said the disaster was “a stark reminder of the grave risks people continue to face when undertaking dangerous sea journeys in search of safety and better opportunities.” 

“No one should have to choose between remaining in situations of profound hardship or embarking on a journey that may cost them their lives,” Abunajela added.

IOM said the sinking reflected the “devastating impact of protracted displacement and the lack of sustainable solutions” for Rohingya refugees.

The agency cited dire camp conditions, limited services and livelihoods, declining aid in Bangladesh, and security concerns in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. It also said smuggling and trafficking networks were exploiting Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals.

Citing IOM’s Missing Migrants Project and UNHCR data, IOM said more than 6,500 Rohingya made sea journeys from Bangladesh and Myanmar in 2025, and over 890 died. Deaths and disappearances in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal rose from 598 in 2024 to 860 in 2025.

Haq, who is also a deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, told the briefing that the international community needs to “scale-up support for refugees and host communities in Bangladesh and to address the root causes of displacement in Myanmar to enable safe and dignified return.”

Elsewhere during the noon briefing, Haq also flagged other worsening humanitarian crises driven by conflict and displacement. He said more than 1.2 million people had been displaced in Lebanon, and in Gaza, aid agencies screened over 72,000 children in March and found about 2,700 cases of acute malnutrition.