Rohingya refugees sets for a perilous journey carrying more than 200 people in a boat which lasts for weeks to reach Indonesia.
Rohingya are trying to escape overcrowded camps in Bangladesh where they fled persecution across the border in Myanmar.
The refugees have spent more than a month at sea and most of them are women and children departed from refugee camps of Bangladesh.
Despite knowing their journey is life threatening and extremely dangerous they often set sail with the help of local traffickers. They often ran out of food and water during their voyage and many dies in the middle of the sea.
Muhammad Faisal (18) and his sister are glad they made to Indonesia. According to Faisal, a nine-year old died on the boat for lack of rice and medicine. Later, they threw him in the sea.
Even on land, 26 Rohingya refugees died of dehydration and exhaustion in Aceh last month. The death toll at sea is increasing rapidly.
Rohingyas are heavily persecuted by Myanmar military. More than 700,000 have fled their homes to neighboring country Bangladesh since August, 2017. From there, many have tried to reach Indonesia or Malaysia.
According to DW News, fisherman and authorities have seen more vessels at sea. Legal Associate of UNHCR Indonesia, Diovio Alfath said, “We can’t confirm this at the moment but considering the situation in the overcrowded camps in Bangladesh is getting worse. It’s clear that people will increasingly try to move to a better place.”
Some 200 Rohingya died making the dangerous journey last year, making 2022 one of the deadliest years for Rohingya refugees fleeing to Indonesia.
