250 missing after migrant boat sinks in Indian Ocean

About 250 missing after overcrowded migrant boat sinks13 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKelly NgAFP via Getty ImagesPoor living conditions in refugee camps have pushed some to make dangerous journeys on crowded vessels in search of a better futureAbout 250 Rohingya and Bangladeshis, including children, are missing after their boat capsized last week in the Andaman Sea, according to the United Nations' refugee and migration agencies.The trawler, which had departed from Bangladesh and was bound for Malaysia, "reportedly sank due to heavy winds, rough seas and overcrowding", the agencies said.The Bangladesh Coast Guard told AFP news agency one of its ships rescued nine people from the vessel on 9 April. It is unclear when exactly the boat capsized.Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, one of Myanmar's many ethnic minorities, have been fleeing across the border into Bangladesh since a deadly crackdown in 2017.The Rohingya, who are primarily Muslim, are denied citizenship by the government of Myanmar, a Buddhist-majority country.Poor living conditions in Bangladesh however have also prompted some Rohingya to make precarious journeys on overcrowded vessels to Malaysia, a Muslim country which some envision to be a safe haven in the region.Rafiqul Islam, one of the survivors, told AFP he floated for nearly 36 hours before being rescued, adding that he was burned by oil that spilled from the vessel.The 40-year-old said the promise of a job in Malaysia was what persuaded him to get on the boat."This tragic incident reflects the dire consequences of protracted displacement and the absence of durable solutions for the Rohingya," the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in its statement jointly issued with the International Organization for Migration.Ongoing violence in Rakhine, their home state in Myanmar, has "faded hopes of safe return in the near future", the agencies said, noting that shrinking humanitarian assis...