Earl Robert Miller, the newly-appointed American ambassador to Bangladesh, has said the US will continue to support not only the Rohingya refugees, but also local residents of Cox’s Bazar.
The diplomat made the statement while speaking to reporters after inspecting the newly-established Rohingya camp in the Balukhali area of Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya upazila.
Miller also said: “We must create a conducive, safe environment in order for the Rohingyas to return to their homeland. We must give them back their rights, and ensure that repatriation is voluntary. The US government is continuing to work with the international community in order to create such a suitable environment.”
He also said: “The amount of harm wrought upon Cox’s Bazar by the influx of so many refugees is immeasurable, but the US will work on mitigating the situation.”
Earlier, Miller reached Cox’s Bazar by plane around 9:30am Tuesdayon a three-day trip. He subsequently visited multiple Rohingya camps in Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar, where he met with refugee leaders, and donor agencies, NGO, and international NGO officials.
Since August 2017, over 700,000 Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh fleeing the persecution of Myanmar security forces. They have taken shelter various refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, taking the total number of refugees living there to over 1.1 million.
