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Many Rohingya families are forced to pay smugglers exorbitant sums—sometimes up to $850—to escape perilous conditions at home. For instance, in December, a family of five—Sudul, his wife Nissa, and their three children—spent ten harrowing days at sea on a wooden boat after paying a smuggler in Bangladesh. Their journey was interrupted when the captain, fearful of arrest, refused to dock directly at Aceh's shores, prompting rescue efforts that saved 176 people stranded at sea. These journeys are fraught with hunger, exhaustion, and the constant threat of violence, showcasing the desperation that drives many to undertake such dangerous voyages.