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ABOUT THIS REPORT
Aim
The spotlight on social impact in Afghanistan report is released every four months and aims to shed light on emerging issues that have or are likely to have significant social impact on Afghans as well as consequences for the humanitarian response. When possible, the report considers groups with specific vulnerabilities and key themes.
This edition of the spotlight on social impact (October 2023 to February 2024) focuses on issues related to Afghan forced returnees following Pakistan’s launch of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan in October 2023. The theme of this edition is the impact of forced return on the livelihoods of vulnerable returnee groups (i.e. elderly, people with disabilities, female-headed households, children, economically vulnerable, and those moving to informal settlements).
These issues and related arising needs must be considered in light of the further shrinking of humanitarian funding, which is expected to continue throughout 2024.
Methodology
The report is largely based on ACAPS’s core methodology of secondary data review supported by interviews (KIIs).
Secondary data includes the review of assessments and response reports by humanitarian organisations, publicly available reports by the Interim Taliban Authorities (ITA), and national and international media.
In total, ACAPS conducted ten interviews: six with relevant experts from humanitarian organisations and clusters (e.g. CCCM Working Group) and one each with a male forced returnee, male member of the host community, an elderly person, and one returnee with disabilities.
Limitations
As the humanitarian response shifts focus from the borders to host areas, local assessments are starting to be undertaken. At the time of writing in March and early April 2024, only a few comprehensive assessments of the needs of returnees were available. The data and information used in this report is mostly limited to the time when returnees crossed the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and were assisted in transit camps.
For interviews with returnees, as with many other contexts in Afghanistan, the collection and analysis of sex and age disaggregated data faced significant limitations as a result of cultural sensitivities, restricted access to certain regions, and logistical challenges, impeding the accurate representation of genders and age groups. The disaggregation of information on returnee groups is, therefore, limited.
Up-to-date data on the impact of assistance provided to forced returnees after they move from the border crossing is also limited. Humanitarian organisation assistance is limited to transit camps and border areas.