Conducive environment for Rohingya repatriation in Myanmar's Rakhine state still remains a far cry, a joint assessment report said.
Many communities, especially the Muslims are not allowed to move freely in the Rakhine state in Myanmar, said the initial assessment report made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) .
The assessment was carried out in September in 23 villages and three village tracts in Myanmar's Rakhine State.
It had been more than a year since the UNHCR had been able to engage with affected communities in the northern areas of Rakhine State, following the flight of more than 720,000 Rohingya refugees to neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017, said a joint statement on Monday.
In the course of these initial assessments in Rakhine, the UNHCR and UNDP noted the efforts of authorities to facilitate these first steps, though they were limited in scope and in the locations visited.
While they do not allow for broader conclusions, the field visits have given the UNHCR and the UNDP an initial understanding of the challenges facing those living there, said the statement.
The teams assessed immediate community needs and priorities for short-term actions. The rapid assessments also helped to identify community initiatives that could support the government's efforts to improve the lives of all affected populations, build trust and promote social cohesion among all communities.
Over the past weeks, the teams observed the serious effects, including on the local economy and diminishing livelihoods, significantly increasing the vulnerabilities of all communities left behind in Rakhine.
Communities also spoke of the cumulative effect of restrictions on the movements, further shrinking their access to livelihood and basic services.
While some self-restrict their movement for real or perceived sense of insecurity or fear of neighbouring communities, others - particularly the Muslim communities - are not allowed to move freely.
Fear and mistrust has an impact on access to education, health and other basic services. It also limits interactions between communities, hindering prospects for confidence-building and social cohesion.
The communities the teams visited frequently spoke of challenges in getting to health services as well as restrictions on the Muslim population in accessing education.
Mistrust, fear of neighbouring communities and a sense of insecurity are prevalent in many areas.
Communities often live in isolation, lowering the prospects for contacts, mutual understanding and inter-communal cohesion. This is notable for relations between the Muslim community and other communities according to the statement.
Assessment teams observed that some communities, particularly those living in close proximity to each other, have maintained or restarted interactions.
The people expressed hope for peace in Rakhine and a number of them indicated willingness to incrementally strengthen or restore relations, the statement said.
Building confidence and improving conditions among remaining communities will be essential to bring people together, to alleviate poverty, and to address health and education disparities, it added.
The communities welcomed the assessment teams and were eager to engage with them and to discuss their issues.
"There were no signs of animosity," said the statement.
As of Friday morning, the teams started the second phase of assessments in the townships of Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung based on travel authorisations received in the past 24 hours.
"We also look to have more predictable and broader access and rapid expansion of assessments and discussions continue on the modalities of effective access to all areas in Rakhine covered by the Memorandum of Understanding," the UNHCR spokesperson said.
Crucial next steps will include follow-up visits to already assessed locations in order to continue engaging with communities and facilitate design and implementation of pre-identified community-based initiatives.
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