Refugees are persevering with to flee on boats throughout the Andaman Sea. Most refugees enterprise this harmful sea journey are Rohingya, fleeing Rakhine State in Myanmar or from the refugee camps in Bangladesh, the place they’ve discovered minimal shelter since 2017.
A complete of 5,160 Rohingya refugees embarked on harmful sea and river journeys in 2025 on 131 boats. With vessels overcrowded and infrequently barely sea-worthy, the potential for tragedy is all too actual. According to UNHCR, practically one in 5 folks travelling throughout the Andaman Sea was reported useless or lacking in 2025.
Often missing correct navigation tools and weak to climate modifications, the dangerous boat journeys additionally put pressure on emergency providers. Regional commitments, together with the 2010 ASEAN Declaration on Search and Rescue Operations at Sea, emphasise the primacy of saving lives at sea. But maritime search and rescue operations are complicated, requiring sturdy coordination, dependable communication, and sustained funding. Political restrictions and restricted budgets in Southeast Asian nations usually go away search and rescue providers underfunded and fragmented, slowing response instances and growing the danger of lack of life at sea.
To deal with the want for speedy responses, a public–non-public partnership mannequin ought to be employed. While the state maintains operational authority and maritime safety, the non-public sector can contribute by way of funding for operational prices, technological upgrades, and search and rescue vessels.
Such an method has been employed elsewhere. In the Mediterranean Sea, various church-based organisations have turn into vital actors in funding and conducting search and rescue operations. The United4Rescue alliance in Germany, for instance, has efficiently constructed a civil society coalition and secured monetary assist from faith-based establishments to assist refugee rescue at sea.
Islamic philanthropic establishments have demonstrated experience in search and rescue for victims of disasters.
Similar efforts have been made in Southeast Asia. In 2012, Islamic philanthropic teams in Jakarta established SEAHUM (Southeast Asia Humanitarian Committee), a community that focuses on Rohingya-related humanitarian points. Since its institution, SEAHUM has sought to construct stronger relations between Islamic humanitarian organisations and state authorities in Southeast Asia. In 2015, members of SEAHUM performed a vital function in supporting the funding of shelters and meals help. These operations are funded by public donations by way of Islamic charitable schemes, equivalent to zakat, waqf, infaq, and sadaqah.
In gentle of the many maritime deaths, Islamic philanthropy also needs to play a task in search and rescue operations in the Andaman Sea. Funding is offered. The assortment of zakat and different social donations by Islamic philanthropic organisations has expanded rapidly. In Indonesia alone, about 43 trillion rupiah (roughly US$2.8 billion) was raised in 2024 by three main establishments – Badan Amil Zakat Nasional (BAZNAS), LazisNu, and Dompet Dhuafa. Most philanthropic organisations are usually not state-affiliated, which additionally permits them to mobilise funds rapidly.
Islamic philanthropy has additionally expanded in international refugee response efforts. In 2023, Islamic philanthropic contributions enabled UNHCR to support nearly 2 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) throughout 23 nations. Islamic philanthropic establishments have additionally demonstrated experience in search and rescue for victims of disasters, together with Dompet Dhuafa’s Disaster Management Centre, established in 2010, which has expertise in sea rescue operations and a professionally trained marine rescue team.
A public–non-public cooperation scheme in funding search and rescue operations in the Andaman Sea can present a practical different to deal with state capability limitations in financing. In observe, Islamic philanthropic organisations can present tools upgrades (communication methods and monitoring infrastructure) and technical search and rescue coaching. Such funding for search and rescue straight addresses operational bottlenecks, equivalent to excessive working prices and coordination delays. Regional networks, equivalent to SEAHUM, may additionally strengthen the bargaining place of Islamic establishments with related state authorities in Malaysia and Indonesia, leaving operational command and maritime authority totally in nationwide arms.
This article was developed throughout a writing workshop in Kuala Lumpur for the Maritime Refugee Lab, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.
