Highlights
So far in 2017, the total number of undocumented returnees who have arrived from Pakistan has now reached 9,928 exceeding – by 3% – the total figure (9,335) which returned in the first quarter of 2016. In the past month, numbers of undocumented returns slowed significantly following the closure of the Spin Boldak and Torkham borders between 16 February and 19 March owing to security concerns; the borders reopened on 20 March. Only 23 deported Afghans arrived in the country from 12 to 18 March.
From 1 April, UNHCR’s voluntary repatriation programme will resume from the winter pause which took effect in mid-December last year. In preparation, UNHCR Encashment Center (JMEC) is equipped with health, drug awareness and overnight accommodation facilities to ensure adequate response capacity. Following consultations with donors and stakeholders, UNHCR will reduce the one off cash grant from US$400 to US$200 per registered refugee from 1 April. The cash grant is provided to Afghan refugees from Pakistan, as well as to refugees repatriating from other countries through the programme.
According to the REACH Informal Settlement Food Security assessment – completed in late January – many returnees are food insecure in Kabul (46% severely and 30% moderately) as well as in Nangarhar (30% severely and 26% moderately), while 60% of returnee households in Nangarhar and 90% in Kabul have poor/borderline food consumption. Returnees in Nangarhar use a high number of coping strategies (50%) while those in Kabul use 31%. Some of the key priority needs for returnee households included food (89%) and employment (63%).
A joint mission to the Kabul formal (PD21) and informal settlements (Hussain Khil) took place on 13 March led by Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Education in Emergencies Working Group (EiEWG), UNHCR and UNICEF. Initial findings indicate that 4,000 returnee children of school going age do not have access to education – most of whom were enrolled in schools in Pakistan prior to returning to Afghanistan. These findings were linked to long distances to schools (up to 6km on average), lack of school tents, learning supplies, text books, incentive for teachers and education documentation. Despite the waiver of Tazkera and other education documents as a requirement for enrollment of returnee children, 80% of school aged children have been barred from schools due to lack of documentation.
Financial Update
The Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) has received a total of US$ 84.8 million (15.4% of the total requirement) since it was launched at the beginning of this year; US$ 26.9 million are paid contributions while US$ 57.9 million are commitments, leaving a gap of US$ 465 million against the overall requirement of US$ 550 million. According to the latest official data on the Financial Tracking Service (FTS)1, of the US$ 84.8 million registered, US$ 20 million has been earmarked for Food Security and Agriculture while the rest – US$ 64.8 million – is still in the process of verification with donor organisations and recipient agencies to identify the appropriate clusters. The Refugee and Returnee Chapter requirements in 2017 total US$240 million.