Desperate Rohingya Risk Deadly Voyages at Sea as Trafficking Surges The image of Rahela Begum clinging to a wooden plank in the Andaman Sea is a haunting reminder of the desperation that drives thousands of Rohingya refugees to risk deadly sea journeys each year.
In Cox's Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh, where nearly 900 Rohingya were reported dead or missing at sea in 2025 – the deadliest year on record – the situation has reached a breaking point.
The latest statistics from the UNHCR paint a grim picture: despite the risks, more than 6,500 Rohingya attempted to leave the camps by sea that same year.