Indian Coast Guard rescues distressed Rohingya Refugees in Andaman Sea
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New Delhi, Feb 26: The Ministry of External Affairs has reported on Feb 25 that Indian coast guard (ICG) has found a boat adrift in the Andaman Sea that was carrying Rohingya refugees, including eight people who had died. The MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said during a video conference that on Feb 11, a boat sailed from Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh carrying 64 women and included 8 girls and 26 men, among which 5 were boys.
According to the ministry, the engine of the boat failed on Feb 15 and since then it has been drifting. Due to the severe conditions, it has been deduced that the eight occupants have died and one of the occupants had been missing since Feb 15. Spokesperson Srivastava said, "When we learnt of the boat in distress, we immediately dispatched two coast guard ships to provide food, water and medical assistance to the occupants. Seven of them were administered IV fluids."
He stated that around 47 of the boat's occupants possessed identity cards issued to them by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Bangladesh, that stated that individuals were displaced Myanmar nationals and persons of concern to UNHCR registered by the Bangladesh government. The Indian external affairs ministry is in discussions with the Bangladesh Govt to ensure their safe and secure repatriation.
The Bangladesh govt has called on countries surrounding the Andaman Sea on Feb 25, to rescue the Rohingya refugees who were adrift for weeks. The UNHCR on Feb 22, appealed for the immediate rescue of the Rohingya refugees in distress in the Andaman Sea. The UNHCR said, "Refugees have told us that the vessel ran out of food and water several days ago, and that many of the passengers are ill. The vessel has reportedly been adrift since the engine broke down, more than a week ago. We have not been able to confirm the number of refugees or their precise location at this time."