At least 10 people have already died from dehydration and starvation as hundreds of migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar remained in sailing boats in Andaman Sea. This migration is currently considered as one of the major humanitarian crises facing Asia.
Scores of migrants belonging to the Rohingya minority of Myanmar and Bangladesh have just become victims of human trafficking as smugglers tried to lure them with promises of jobs and a good life in more developed Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
However, these nations have already expressed their strong will to drive these boats away as they could not accommodate these supposed illegal migrants. To make things worse, the crackdown on smuggled people in Thailand had forced boat crews and captains to eventually abandon the vessel, leaving the passengers with almost nothing to get them by.
In the end, these migrants have already been drifting in the Andaman Sea for months with almost no food, water, and only a thin fabric to keep them from the heat of the sun. The starvation and dehydration led to the death of at least 10 people, BBC reported, the bodies of which have already been thrown off to sea. To help them get by, some have already resorted to drinking their own urine.
A boat happened to cross the Thai waters, but they were immediately intercepted by the coast guards who drove the vessel again to the open waters while replenishing their supplies including fuel and fixing their engine so they could sail again.
Due to the growing crisis, the UN has already called on affected Asian countries to come together to help save the lives of thousands who are currently at sea.
The migration is mainly due to the persecution faced by the Rohingyas in Myanmar and Bangladesh, where they were almost stripped off their identities and rights such as citizenship and job prospects revoked.
