Thirteen survivors were rescued by Malaysian authorities, but dozens remain missing.
Another ship with around 230 people on board is believed to still be at sea, raising fears of another tragedy.
Thousands of Rohingya refugees continue to attempt perilous journeys across the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea in search of safety, as conditions deteriorate in camps in Bangladesh and conflict-hit Myanmar.
The death toll rises
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCRand the International Organization for Migration (IOM) expressed deep concern over the increasing human losses, stressing that more than 600 people have already died or gone missing at sea this year.
Women and children make up more than two-thirds of those making these dangerous crossings.
The agencies welcomed the rescue efforts by Malaysian authorities and local communities and called for stronger regional cooperation to strengthen search and rescue capabilities, ensure safe disembarkation and address the root causes of displacement in Myanmar.
Gaza: Vaccination campaign begins as vaccination rate falls below critical threshold
In Gaza, a immunization, nutrition and health catch-up campaign is underway to reach more than 40,000 children under the age of three who have not received routine vaccinations due to two years of conflict.
UNICEFThe United Nations Children’s Fund warned on Tuesday that vaccination rates in the enclave had fallen below 70 percent – a key threshold for keeping preventable diseases at bay.
The campaign has already reached thousands of children after starting this weekend. It will take place in three rounds: this month, December and January.
UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires noted that before the war, Gaza had 98 percent vaccination coverage and 55 vaccination sites: “Today, coverage has fallen below 70 percent with 31 vaccination centers destroyed or damaged. »
While a fragile ceasefire remains in place in Gaza, Pires said the biggest problem is the delivery of essential medical equipment to the Strip, essential to the success of the campaign.
That includes 1.6 million syringes, but the vast majority are still outside the enclave, UNICEF’s Pires said.
Fuel supply
Between Friday and Monday, the United Nations Office for Project Services distributed over 619,000 liters of diesel to humanitarian partners to support critical operations including water services, sanitation, hygiene, health, logistics, rubble removal, education, nutrition and protection.
Between 1 November and Sunday, UN partners in Gaza provided general food assistance to some 255,000 people, distributing two food parcels per household.
“A month after the start of the ceasefire, our partners working on food security are distributing around 160,000 packs of bread every day, produced by 19 UN-supported bakeries, including nine in northern Gaza,” said deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.
Loan initiative improves access for vulnerable food producers
A UN-backed lending initiative is underway, aimed at helping small farmers and producers in the Sahara and beyond, who are held back by the difficulties they often face in obtaining commercial loans.
Announcing the news on Tuesday, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) explained that producers face barriers to accessing funds because the sector is perceived as riskier than others, due to its exposure to climate shocks and price volatility.
Credit where credit is due
But thanks to the European Union which provides guarantees to the tune of 109.5 million euros, the Italian public development bank CDP will now grant credits to approved lenders operating in Africa and Turkey.
FAO’s role is to provide technical expertise in food, agriculture and finance to the program’s local lenders.
“Knowledge is the best instrument to reduce risks,” said the head of the UN agency, Qu Dongyu.
