A tragic incident has unfolded off the coast of Indonesia, where dozens of Rohingya refugees are feared dead or missing after a boat carrying around 150 people capsized. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported on this devastating event, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
According to UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch, survivors from the boat estimated to be holding 151 individuals have shared harrowing accounts of the incident. “The fear is for those out of the 151, that haven’t been so far rescued, is that those lives have been lost or they have gone missing,” Baloch stated, emphasizing the dire need for immediate rescue efforts.
Indonesian rescuers, however, had to call off the search earlier in the day, adding to the grimness of the situation. Despite reports of dozens of people being swept away, the search and rescue operations faced challenges in locating any remaining survivors.
The boat capsized approximately 16 nautical miles off the coast of West Aceh, prompting shock and deep concern from both UNHCR and the International Organization of Migration (IOM). In a joint statement, they expressed their distress over what could potentially be the largest loss of life among Rohingya refugees this year.
The gravity of the situation was further underscored by a dramatic rescue operation conducted on Thursday, where 69 Rohingya refugees were saved after being adrift at sea for weeks. This incident sheds light on the perilous journeys undertaken by Rohingya refugees seeking safety and refuge.
The influx of refugees into Indonesian provinces, particularly Aceh and North Sumatra, has been significant, with 1,752 refugees, predominantly women and children, arriving between mid-November and late January. This influx marks the largest movement of Rohingya refugees into Indonesia since 2015, according to UNHCR data.
Sources By Agencies
