The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) reported on Tuesday that at least 20 Rohingya had perished at sea in recent weeks, as boats carrying hundreds of the persecuted Muslims arrived in Indonesia while others were thought to be drifting in the Indian Ocean.
Following weeks at sea, a boat carrying 174 Rohingya washed ashore in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Monday, according to local disaster agency officials. The majority of the Rohingya were dehydrated, exhausted, and in need of immediate medical attention.
The boat was the same as one that had previously been reported missing and was feared to have sunk, according to Chris Lewa of the Arakan Project, which supports Rohingya.
The Rohingya are fleeing the dire conditions in the refugee camps in Bangladesh in greater numbers, and the UNHCR warned on Monday that 2022 could be one of the deadliest years at sea for them in almost a decade.
In Myanmar, a country with a Buddhist majority that borders Bangladesh, the Rohingya have long been persecuted. Since the seas are calmer between November and April, many people have fled to nations like Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, which have a Muslim majority.
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