The United States has praised the Bangladesh government for its continued efforts in providing shelter to displaced Rohingya people.
“We commend the Government of Bangladesh for continuing to provide shelter to displaced Rohingya, as well as other countries in the region for hosting refugees from Burma,” said Thomas "Tommy" Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the US Department of State on Sunday (August 24).
“The United States expresses its support for the people of Burma, including Rohingya and other ethnic groups who have been subjected to violence and displacement,” he added.
Following the military crackdown in Rakhine, Myanmar, in August 2017, more than 700,000 Rohingya sought refuge in Bangladesh within a few months. Prior to that, over 400,000 Rohingya were already residing in the country.
Additionally, around 30,000 Rohingya children are born each year in the camps in Cox’s Bazar. With the recent influx of thousands more, over 1.3 million Rohingya currently live in Bangladesh.
To strengthen international cooperation for a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis, a three-day international conference titled “Stakeholders’ Dialogue: Takeaways to the High-Level Conference on Rohingya Situation” began in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday.
On the first day of the dialogue, a special interactive session was held with Rohingya representatives to discuss ways to build trust for the safe and dignified repatriation of the displaced community.
The main session of the conference will be officially inaugurated on Monday by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.