US special envoy visits Cox's Bazar camps as Rohingya refugees demand repatriation

US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor visited various refugee camps in Ukhia, Cox's Bazar, to assess the latest situation of the Rohingya crisis and the humanitarian conditions in the camps. On Friday (July 31), as his motorcade arrived in Ukhia, displaced Rohingya lined up in front of it, pleading to return to their homeland.

During the visit, the Rohingya refugees peacefully displayed placards in front of the special envoy. One of the placards read: "You have your home! We miss our home!" Through these placards, they strongly demanded a safe and dignified repatriation to Myanmar.

Eyewitness Abdur Rahim said the Rohingya peacefully displayed placards to demand safe and dignified repatriation to Myanmar. Many of them have been living in Bangladesh for a long time and expressed their desire to return to their own country.

Rohingya leader Mohammad Jubayer, raising demands for citizenship rights and full security in Myanmar, said, "We have been living an uncertain life in the camps for years. We have only one demand—we want to return to our country with citizenship rights, security and dignity. We do not want to live as refugees anymore."

Camp sources said that during his visit, Sergio Gor inquired about the overall living conditions, humanitarian assistance programmes, education and healthcare services for the Rohingya. He also exchanged views with representatives of various international organisations working there and concerned government officials.

The US special envoy, who arrived in Bangladesh on a three-day official visit, visited the Ukhia refugee camps on Friday as part of his review of the current Rohingya crisis situation, humanitarian assistance programmes and various aspects of sustainable repatriation.