US Congressional staff delegation visits Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar

A US Congressional staff delegation visited Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar to evaluate camp conditions, humanitarian assistance, and repatriation prospects

Desk Report

Aug 27, 2026, 05:43 AM2 min read

US Congressional staff delegation visits Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar

U.S. Congressional staff, accompanied by colleagues from UNHCR’s Multi-Country Office in Washington, D.C., visited the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar and the Office of the Refugee Relief & Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) / Collected

A delegation of US Congressional staff visited Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar and the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) on Wednesday, as Washington continues to engage with Bangladesh over the protracted refugee crisis.

The delegation met Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Additional Secretary and Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, to discuss the humanitarian situation in the camps, ongoing assistance efforts and the prospects for the safe, voluntary and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

The visit comes amid growing international concern over the worsening conditions in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and the uncertain prospects for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees who have been living in Bangladesh for years.

According to UNB, the US delegation’s visit underscores Washington’s continued interest in the Rohingya crisis and the need for stronger international cooperation to support both the refugees and Bangladesh’s humanitarian response.

The delegation included Noelle Dana, Senior Legislative Assistant to Rep. Ryan MacKenzie; Robert Sar, Legislative Director to Rep. Stephanie Bice; Ryan Carreiro, Legislative Assistant to Rep. Marlin Stutzman; Torie Cox, National Security Analyst at the Senate Republican Policy Committee; Sarah Jacobs, Legislative Director to Rep. Madeleine Dean; Maiesha Hossain, National Security Legislative Aide to Senator Chris Van Hollen; and Marshele Bryant, Legislative Director to Rep. Maxwell Frost.

They were accompanied by Nancy Jackson, Senior External Relations Officer, and Jessie Ainslie, External Relations Associate, from UNHCR’s Multi-Country Office in Washington, DC.

During the meetings, the sides also exchanged views on the challenges facing the refugee camps and the broader humanitarian response, including the international community’s role in addressing the crisis.

Bangladesh has repeatedly maintained that Rohingya repatriation must be safe, voluntary and dignified, with conditions in Myanmar allowing refugees to return sustainably. The country is currently hosting more than one million Rohingya refugees, most of whom fled a military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017.

BOB Post