The activities proposed hereafter are still subject to the adoption of the financing decision ECHO/WWD/ BUD/2013/01000
- CONTEXT
Humanitarian challenges from both natural and man-made crises continue to confront Pakistan. The recovery from three consecutive years of devastating floods is still ongoing. The conflict-affected population - including those displaced, those who have returned and those who remain in their place of origin as well as the remaining Afghan refugees - continue to require international assistance. Throughout 2012 further displacement from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) took place and return of those internally displaced persons (IDPs) is not foreseen before spring 2013. Furthermore, given the frequency of natural disasters over the last decade, additional significant natural disasters cannot be excluded in the course of 2013.
Three years of consecutive floods have caused a deterioration in the resilience of local people whose coping mechanisms are seriously stretched. Following the 2010 monsoon, Pakistan experienced the worst floods in its history. The scope and scale of the floods was unprecedented, affecting over 18 million people across Pakistan. Over 1,900 people lost their lives, while over 10 million were in need of humanitarian assistance. In 2011, monsoon wreaked further devastation in Sindh and Baluchistan, affecting over 5.8 million people. One year later in 2012, serious flooding once more affected nearly 5 million people.
The fighting between militant groups and Pakistan's security forces, which has intensified since 2007, continues to affect Baluchistan, FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkwa Province (KPK), causing continued displacement of civilians and generating needs for protection and assistance. Around 1 million civilians are displaced from and within conflict zones, which also has an impact on host communities in receiving areas, since the majority of displaced people live in those host communities. Military interventions in FATA continued in 2012 and triggered further displacement of civilians. Further displacements may occur in 2013.
Pakistan continues to host a sizeable population of Afghan refugees. Despite the considerable return movement to Afghanistan over the last 10 years, many prefer integration in Pakistan and there have been more Afghans born in Pakistan in the same period than have returned to Afghanistan. Registered Afghan refugees possess a Proof of Registration card, which is the only identity document accepted by the Government of Pakistan (GoP). The validity of this document will expire on 31 December 2012, potentially resulting in a negative humanitarian impact on the refugees.
Pakistan ranks 145th out of 187 countries in the 2011 Human Development Index (HDI)2, which is a drop from 128th position in 2010. Pakistan also ranks at 2 in the European Commission's Global Needs Assessment (GNA) vulnerability index and 3 in the crisis index.