The Guardian
AP in Bangkok
Tue 5 Dec 2023
UN warns of possible tragedy unless people are rescued from two boats on Andaman Sea
Rohingya refugees disembark from a boat in north Aceh, Indonesia, last month. Photograph: Rahmat Mirza/AP
About 400 Rohingya refugees have been adrift in two boats on the Andaman Sea for about two weeks, according to the United Nations, which called on regional governments to help rescue them.
The number of Rohingya Muslims fleeing by boats in a seasonal exodus – usually from squalid, overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh – has been rising since last year due to cuts to food rations and an increase in gang violence.
The number of Rohingya Muslims fleeing by boats in a seasonal exodus – usually from squalid, overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh – has been rising since last year due to cuts to food rations and an increase in gang violence.