*71 registered refugees who returned to Afghanistan between 1 January – 31 August 2020
6, 589 Afghan refugees whose births were registered between 1 January – 31 August 2020
15,874 Afghan refugees who have received legal assistance between 1 January – 31 August 2020
Personal protective equipment (PPEs) was provided to the health workers in 54 refugee villages to protect themselves during the pandemic
2,295 individuals (Afghan refugees and Pakistanis) received livelihoods assistance
Working with partners
■ UNHCR collaborates closely with the Government of Pakistan. It works jointly with the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), as well as the Chief Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees and the Commissionerates for Afghan Refugees at the provincial level.
■ UNHCR partners with a range of national and international non-governmental organizations to provide protection and humanitarian assistance, as well as collaborates with non-implementing partners, such as the World Bank, sister UN agencies and private sector partners.
Main activities
Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees
■ The regional multi-year Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) provides a framework for cooperation between humanitarian and development actors to address the needs of Afghan refugees and the communities that host them. It supports the pursuit of durable solutions, as well as youth empowerment through public education, the development of technical and vocational skills and livelihood opportunities, and a strengthen public health system. The SSAR was previously extended until 2021.
■ A dedicated Support Platform for the SSAR was launched in late 2019. The Support Platform seeks to achieve: (i) enhanced international solidarity and burden-sharing for the Afghan refugee situation, resulting in stronger political and financial commitments to achieve solutions; (ii) additional investments and expanded partnerships for coherent humanitarian and development responses that increase absorption capacity for voluntary repatriation and sustainable reintegration in Afghanistan, while easing the burden on host communities in the Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan; and (iii) sustained visibility for the Afghan situation by linking the SSAR to the Global Compact on Refugees, enabling the sharing of regional good practices and lessons learned, showcasing the positive contributions of refugees to their host country and community and advocating for the implementation in the subregion of unassigned pledges made at the Global Refugee Forum.
■ A High-Level Meeting on the Support Platform for the SSAR was convened by the United Nations High Commissioner on 6 July 2020. The High Commissioner launched a report on “A Partnership for Solidarity and Resilience” with integrated projects designed to respond to the most urgent priority needs in the Islamic Republics of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. These projects have been identified jointly by the Governments of all three countries, UNHCR and other key stakeholders. Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, the United States, as well as the European Union, UNDP and the World Bank, agreed to become members of the Core Group of the SSAR Support Platform. Building on this momentum, the inaugural meeting of the Core Group with representatives of the Governments of Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan) will be convened on 7 October 2020.