Simon Henshaw, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, will lead a delegation to Myanmar and Bangladesh on October 29-November 4 to discuss ways to address the humanitarian and human rights concerns stemming from the Rakhine State crisis.
The issue of improving the delivery of humanitarian assistance to displaced persons in Myanmar as well as in Bangladesh, and the region will also be discussed.
The date of Simon’s arrival to Dhaka is not yet announced. However, a diplomatic source said the delegation is likely to visit Myanmar first before coming to Bangladesh.
In Bangladesh, Acting Assistant Secretary Simon Henshaw and the delegation will meet senior government officials, donors, and humanitarian agencies to discuss efforts to improve the conditions for the significant influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh to effectively meet life-saving needs.
The delegation will also visit affected communities in Cox’s Bazar to hear the stories of the people who have fled, assess the impact of the emergency humanitarian response, identify gaps in assistance, and advise on ways to improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Busby of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Tom Vajda of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and Office Director Patricia Mahoney of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs will accompany the Acting Assistant Secretary.
The delegation will meet various stakeholders to discuss the US and international responses to the ongoing crisis and to explore durable solutions, according to a message UNB received from US Department of State on Sunday night.
In Myanmar, Acting Assistant Secretary Simon Henshaw and the delegation will meet the diplomatic community, senior government officials, and UN, international and NGO partners to discuss the current state of the crisis, promote protection for persons affected by the violence and accountability for reported human rights abuses, urge unhindered humanitarian access to affected communities in Rakhine State, and press for the establishment of protection mechanisms to enable individuals to voluntarily return in safety and with dignity.
