The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Friday released astatementexpressing grave concern over reports that two boats carrying Rohingya refugees sank off the coast of Myanmar earlier this month, with an estimated 427 people dead.

The plight of Myanmars ethnic Rohingya is intensifying almost eight years since hundreds of thousands fled persecution and sought shelter in Bangladesh, the UN said on Monday, in an appeal for $934.5 million to help them.

The year 2024 marked the deadliest on record for migrants in Asia, with at least 2,514 lives lost along the regions perilous migration routes, according to new data from the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).

According to reports, one boat carrying 267 people from Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh and Rakhine State in Myanmar, sank on 9 May, with only 66 survivors,UNHCRsaid.

The following day, a second boat fleeing with 247 people capsized, leaving just 21 survivors. In a separate incident, reports indicate that on 14 May, a third vessel carrying 188 Rohingya was intercepted while departing from Myanmar.

SinceAugust 2017, mass violence, armed attacks and human rights violations have forced hundreds of thousands of mainly-Muslim Rohingya to flee Myanmars Rakhine State to seek refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh, particularly in the Cox Bazars region.

Last week, UNHCRvoiced alarmover reports that Rohingya refugees had been forced off an Indian navy vessel into the Andaman Sea. News reports said that dozens of refugees were detained in Delhi, blindfolded, flown to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, then transferred to a naval ship and forced to swim ashore.

UN response

In Fridays statement, Hai Kyung Jun, Director of UNHCRs Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, warned that the worsening humanitarian situation exacerbated by funding cuts to UN agencies is pushing more Rohingya to risk dangerous sea journeys.

She stressed the urgent need for stronger protection in first-asylum countries and greater responsibility-sharing to prevent further tragedies.

Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq highlighted during Fridays press briefing that, with the annual monsoon season now underway, the perilous sea conditions reflect the desperation of those attempting to flee.

He also noted that so far this year, one in five people undertaking such sea journeys in the region has been reported dead or missing, underscoring the scale of risk and despair facing the Rohingya.

According to UNHCRdata, as of 30 April, there are 1,272,081 Rohingya refugees officially displaced and stateless from Myanmar. Some 89 per cent are seeking asylum in Bangladesh and 8.8 per cent in Malaysia.

The refugee agency requires $383.1 million to sustain essential support for Rohingya refugees and host communities across Bangladesh, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and Thailand in 2025. To date, only 30 per cent of that funding target has been met.