Under Secretary Zeya’s Remarks at the High-Level UNGA Side Event on the Rohingya Crisis, hosted by Bangladesh – United States Department of State

Good afternoon, excellencies. And thank you, Chief Advisor Yunus and the Interim Government of Bangladesh, for your invitation to the United States to co-host this important gathering.

Seven years after nearly three-quarters of a million Rohingya fled a horrific campaign of genocide and terror, the situation in Rakhine State looks distressingly unchanged.  This 2017 exodus was a culmination of decades of restrictive policies and persecution of Rohingya in Burma.  Towns have been burned and innocent Rohingya women, children, and men shot, bombed, and killed.  Women have been trafficked; and men and boys forcibly conscripted, facing death, and injury. This ongoing conflict and the horrors we have seen demand our collective conscience and immediate action to assist those fleeing unimaginable violence and terror.  

Let me say this:  No one is doing more to save lives and offer protection to Rohingya than Bangladesh.  Thanks to the incredible generosity of Bangladesh, about one million Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char have found refuge from the horrors of Rakhine State.  I am so grateful to Chief Advisor Yunus for his promise to continue supporting Rohingya sheltering in Bangladesh until a safe, dignified, sustainable, and voluntary return is possible.  I implore Bangladesh to continue embracing that humanitarian spirit, welcoming those who are desperately fleeing violence in Burma. 

We encourage Bangladesh to continue working with ASEAN to help secure further support from regional members on the Rohingya crisis.  The international community cannot let Bangladesh shoulder this enormous responsibility alone.  Today, I am pleased to announce the United States will contribute nearly $199 million in additional assistance for Rohingya refugees and communities hosting them in Bangladesh and the region. 

This assistance will save lives, helping to shelter and feed those who have fled violence and persecution with little more than the clothes on their backs.  This support is also about building resilience – supporting disaster preparedness that benefits both refugees and the communities hosting them.  By enhancing access to education and skills training, we can enable Rohingya to meet their full potential as constructive members of society, easing the assistance burden, and preparing them for a safe voluntary return home when conditions allow.

Looking ahead, the United States looks forward to working with the Interim Government to uplift Rohingya and their host communities.  At present, funding uncertainties and restrictions on Rohingyas’ ability to work have created a challenging reality where refugees are struggling just to survive.  Keeping them dependent on humanitarian aid not only stifles their potential but creates an environment where ruthless armed gangs prey on the most vulnerable.  Ensuring that Rohingya are safe, have access to schools and jobs is key to developing sustainable solutions.

The U.S. is proud to have resettled nearly 17,000 Rohingya from the region since 2009, including more than 1,500 Rohingya from Bangladesh since resettlement to the United States resumed in late 2022.  Together with other resettlement countries, we remain committed to making resettlement a vital part of a comprehensive response to the Rohingya crisis.  We stand by Rohingya in their pursuit of justice and accountability for harms they’ve suffered in Burma. 

I want to underscore our unwavering support for Bangladesh, our humanitarian partners, and most importantly, Rohingya themselves.  I call on those here today to do more to support the humanitarian response, to bring peace to Burma, to foster conditions for return, and to welcome Rohingya refugees into our communities with open arms.