UN refugee agency welcomes developments in Southeast Asia sea

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Wednesday welcomed the commitment announced by the foreign ministers of Malaysia and Indonesia to help thousands of migrants stranded in boats in the Bay of Bengal and off the coast of Southeast Asia.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the UNHCR said this is an important initial step in the search for solutions to this issue, and vital for the purpose of saving lives.

UNHCR added that it is now urgent for people to be brought ashore without delay, and that immediate first aid and other care is provided for all who are in need.

UNHCR agreed with the foreign ministers that further action will be needed, including addressing root causes.

"As with other regions of the world, where we are seeing large movements of people by sea, countries in the region will need to work together for this to be addressed meaningfully and successfully," the statement said.

According to the UNHCR, solutions to the plight of these people may include returning people to their home countries voluntarily and once conditions allow.

UN agencies, including UNHCR, on Tuesday issued a joint statement, strongly urging the leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to protect migrants and refugees stranded on vessels in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, to facilitate safe disembarkation, and to give priority to saving lives.

According to latest UN figures, in Southeast Asia, more than 88,000 people have made the dangerous voyage by sea since 2014, including 25,000 who arrived in the first quarter of this year alone.

Among these people, nearly 1,000 are believed to have perished at sea due to the precarious conditions of the voyage, and an equal number because of mistreatment and privation at the hands of traffickers and abusive smugglers. Endit