Around 250 people including Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals are feared missing after a boat capsized in the Andaman Sea, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.

The agencies said they are “deeply saddened” by reports that the trawler which departed from Teknaf in southern Bangladesh for Malaysia, sank amid heavy winds, rough seas and overcrowding.

The UN agencies said the promise of better wages abroad, often coupled with misinformation spread by smuggling networks, drives individuals, Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals, to take significant risks.

These factors, they said, create conditions in which smugglers and traffickers can exploit vulnerabilities, placing lives at grave risk.

"This tragic incident reflects the dire consequences of protracted displacement and the absence of durable solutions for the Rohingya," said the UN agencies.

Ongoing violence in Rakhine state has faded hopes of safe return in the near future, while shrinking humanitarian assistance, challenging living conditions in refugee camps, and limited access to education and livelihoods are pushing refugees to take such dangerous sea journeys in search of safety and opportunity. 

The Andaman Sea continues to claim the lives of people undertaking these perilous journeys.

"We urgently call on the international community to step up solidarity and sustain funding to support lifesaving assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as well as support for the Bangladeshi host communities," said the UN agencies.

As Bangladesh marks its new year, the UN agencies said, this tragedy is a reminder of the efforts urgently needed to address the root causes of displacement in Myanmar and create conditions that would allow Rohingya refugees to return home voluntarily, safely and with dignity.

Without collective action, the organisations said, more lives will be lost at sea and on desperate journeys through deadly routes.