Overview
- The UN refugee and migration agencies, which issued a joint statement Tuesday, said roughly 250 people are missing after an overloaded trawler from Teknaf bound for Malaysia sank in rough, windy seas.
- The Bangladesh Coast Guard said the Bangladeshi tanker M. T. Meghna Pride pulled nine survivors from waters near the Andaman Islands on April 9, with police later detaining several as alleged traffickers.
- Survivor Rafiqul Islam said traffickers forced people into fish and net storage holds to avoid patrols, where there was little air and at least 30 suffocated before the vessel overturned.
- Preliminary reports say the journey began on April 4 with about 280 people aboard, including women and children, and that exact numbers, the sinking date, and any search efforts remain under verification.
- UNHCR and IOM urged donors to restore funding and pursue long-term solutions as shrinking aid and harsh camp conditions in Bangladesh push Rohingya to risk more dangerous crossings.