At least 69 Rohingya refugees have been rescued following a tragic incident where a wooden boat, reportedly carrying an estimated 150 individuals, capsized off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province.
According to the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS Aceh), 42 men, 18 women, and nine children were safely brought to port, but fears persist for the fate of those still missing.
The boat encountered trouble approximately 19 kilometers (12 miles) from the shores of Kuala Bubon on Aceh's west coast after encountering rough seas on Wednesday morning.
While the exact cause of the boat sinking remains uncertain, it is well-documented that vessels transporting Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh camps are typically in substandard condition, overcrowded, and equipped with minimal facilities.
In a tragic incident in August 2023, 17 Rohingya refugees lost their lives when their boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal.
Prior to the arrival of rescue teams, six individuals—four women and two men—were saved by Acehnese fishermen and subsequently provided testimony to Faisal Rahman, a representative from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Rahman indicated that the accounts of survivors strongly indicated a significant number had perished.
"While we cannot ascertain the precise casualty count, testimonies from the six individuals rescued suggest a considerable loss of life," he informed. Around 50 individuals lost their lives when the boat capsized," he added.
It is believed that the majority of those presumed deceased were women and children, unable to navigate the waters. They were likely swept away by the currents out at sea.
In Aceh, some individuals emerged to protest against the arrival of the refugees, as depicted by a sign reading 'Boycott Rohingya.'
Despite their desperate pleas for rescue, the survivors appeared to be predominantly male and in a visibly weakened state.
Efforts to locate the exact position of the distressed vessel faced challenges, with UNHCR's Rahman indicating difficulties in pinpointing its whereabouts on Wednesday night.
The circumstances surrounding the sinking remain unclear, though it's noted that vessels transporting Rohingya refugees from camps in Bangladesh are often overcrowded and in poor condition, lacking adequate facilities.
This incident displays perilous circumstances faced by the Rohingya community, who endure systematic persecution and discrimination.
The UNHCR previously reported a distressing statistic, revealing that at least 569 Rohingya individuals perished or went missing in 2023 while attempting to flee Myanmar or Bangladesh, marking the highest death toll recorded since 2014.
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