Attachments
Background
In July 2023, authorities reiterated their intention to relocate residents of around 50 informal settlements in Kabul Municipality, collectively termed Kabul Informal Settlements (KIS). Their justification is that the sites host conflict-displaced people that were granted temporary permission to occupy state land; now that the conflict is over the displaced people should return to their place of origin and return the land to the authorities. In July, one the largest IDP informal settlements was evicted in PD 22, accounting for an estimated 1,500 – 2,000 families, and authorities plan the potential relocation of some 10,000 households in total. In light of recent evictions, this brief highlights the gendered vulnerability faced by women and girls in the population at risk of eviction in Kabul, and proposes response actions from humanitarian agencies and donors.
Overview of the population of KIS
This paper draws on a household survey of KIS conducted by HLP-TF partners between 2018 and 2021, which remains the most comprehensive assessment to date. The survey covered over 10,000 families living in 54 KIS settlements in Kabul Municipality; around 12% are women-headed, with remaining 88% coupleheaded households. The gender split in the survey population is around even: out of a total of 56,000 people living in the KIS, around 28,200 are men and 27,800 are women. The population of KIS is young, with nearly 60% of both males and females aged under 18; the demographic profile of male and women by age is broadly similar across age ranges. Residents of KIS settlements overwhelmingly self- identified as IDPs – around 90% reported this status. Many residents have lived in Kabul for a prolonged period in protracted displacement: 49% of all households reported residing in their settlement for over five years, and 12% for over 10 years.