UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Mr. Haoliang Xu and UNHCR’s Deputy Regional Director Mr. Bernard Doyle completed a five-day visit to Myanmar on 14 December 2018.

The delegation visited Rakhine State from 10 to 12 December, including the state capital Sittwe, where they met with state and local government officials. The delegation also visited various villages in Maungdaw District where the two agencies have conducted initial rapid needs assessments over the past three months. There they spoke with communities on the challenges they face, and the prospects for the future. On 13 December meetings were held with the State Counsellor H.E. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Ministers from key Union ministries.

UNDP and UNHCR welcome the approval granted on 13 December by the Government of the Union of Myanmar to implement 35 community-based projects in select villages that were part of the first round of assessments. The small-scale quick impact projects were designed in consultation with affected communities and aim to improve livelihoods, build trust and promote social cohesion among the various communities.  

UNHCR and UNDP remain strongly committed to the implementation of the tripartite MoU which was signed with the Union Government six months ago. Both agencies reiterate their earlier calls for more effective access to the areas in Rakhine State covered by the MOU, so that they can support Government to create more conducive conditions for the voluntary return of refugees from Bangladesh.

For more information on this topic, please contact:

• In Yangon, Aoife McDonnell, mcdonnel@unhcr.org, +95 940 348 7572 
• In Geneva, Andrej Mahecic, mahecic@unhcr.org, +41 79 642 97 09
• In Yangon : Stanislav Saling, stanislav.saling@one.un.org, +95 9 42651 9871
• In Yangon: Sandra Barrows, Sandra.barrows@undp.org + 95 9797 436048
• In New York: Adam Cathro, adam.cathro@undp.org, +1 (212) 906-5326

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