Sri Lanka Navy Rescues More Than 100 Rohingya Refugees Adrift in Indian Ocean

The Sri Lankan Navy, today, rescued 102 Rohingya refugees, including 25 children, adrift on a fishing trawler in the Indian Ocean, Al Jazeera reported. The group was brought safely to Trincomalee, a port in eastern Sri Lanka. The refugees had fled from Myanmar, where ongoing civil unrest and military actions have led millions to seek safety abroad.

The navy reported that language barriers complicated communication about their intended destination, suggesting that recent cyclonic weather may have caused them to drift off course. Medical checks were mandated before the refugees could disembark.

The Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority in Myanmar, often undertake perilous sea journeys to escape violence and persecution. This incident marks a continuation of the humanitarian crisis, as many risk their lives on similar voyages each year, primarily aiming for Malaysia or Indonesia.