US starts talks with BD, Myanmar over Rohingya crisis: Bernicat

COX'S BAZAR, Sept 28 (UNB): US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat said on Thursday the US has initiated talks with Bangladesh and Myanmar for resolving the crisis over Rohingyas who fled their homeland to avoid persecution.

Sending the Rohingyas back to their homeland is a long process and it is not possible to resolve the problem in a month, she told reporters after visiting a registered Rohingya camp at Kutupalong around 12:30 pm.

She said the US has full support to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's five-point demand to end the crisis.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed a five-point proposal at the United Nations for a permanent solution to the crisis.

Bernicat said they will urge the Myanmar government to implement the Annan Commission's report.

She said the United States, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing an additional $6 million to the UN World Food Program (WFP) to assist the Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh amid persecution in Myanmar. This funding is in addition to the $1 million provided to WFP earlier this year.

Bernicat also visited the offices and service centres of international agencies like IOM (International Organization for Migration), Unicef and UNHCR.