OVERVIEW OF THE CRISIS
As of 1 December 2016, 0.5 million people remain displaced in the north-west, while 0.63 million IDPs returned to FATA during the year. The country hosts 1.34 million registered Afghan refugees, one of the world’s largest protracted refugee caseloads. An additional 0.7 million undocumented Afghans may be vulnerable.
Pakistan is prone to natural disasters, and acute malnutrition exceeds emergency levels in areas around the country.
Large-scale internal displacement and returns
Since 2008, more than five million people have been displaced from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). These women, men; girls and boys fled their homes to escape insecurity and sectarian violence, or were requested to leave by the Government ahead of security operations. While many have returned, as of December 2016 an estimated 0.5 million people were still displaced, in some cases multiple times and for more than seven years.
Some 63 per cent of IDPs rent accommodation in KP.
Others live with hosting families and in informal settlements without adequate housing, sanitation, electricity supply, schools, hospitals and roads. Meanwhile, expensive rent and complex procedures make it particularly difficult for IDPs to maintain accommodation in host areas. Displaced families increasingly depend on less stable sources of income, such as humanitarian aid and daily wage labour, as they struggle to cope. Recent assessments indicate that approximately two thirds of IDPs do not have access to clean drinking water and three quarters cannot afford to buy enough food to meet their basic needs.
Poor feeding patterns have been exacerbated by the crisis, increasing already high rates of severe malnutrition among IDPs and host communities.
In 2015, the Government implemented a plan to facilitate the return of all IDPs by the end of 2016. From January to November, the Government facilitated the return and de-registration of 630,000 IDPs including 145,000 women, 145,000 men; 151,000 girls and 189,000 boys.
This represents an important opportunity to end the displacement of over a million people, and start to rebuild communities in return areas.
However, IDPs returning to FATA find infrastructure severely damaged by the crisis and a lack of maintenance. In some areas, up to 80 per cent of houses have been damaged, as well as schools, health facilities, roads, and irrigation and water supply systems.
Most health and education facilities in return areas are not functional, those that are tend to be severely under-resourced and under-staffed with a near total absence of female doctors. Despite cash grants given by the Government, three in four people still do not have enough money to buy food from the market.
An estimated 17 per cent of IDPs are not registered, with a higher rate among female-headed households, and do not receive monthly food packages, non-food items, cash for transport and other official assistance.
Those displaced who have returned face considerable difficulties restarting agriculture-based livelihoods due to heavy damage to irrigation infrastructure, severely reduced livestock, and changes to the economy after the introduction of strict border controls.
One of the world’s largest protracted refugee crisis
With 1.34 million registered Afghan refugees, Pakistan hosts one of the world’s largest protracted refugee populations.
Many of these refugees have lived in the country for more than 37 years, resulting in second and third generations of Afghans being born into displacement in Pakistan. The demographic is particularly young, with children and youth (below 24 years) constituting 63 per cent of the total Afghan refugee population in the country. At present, there is no comprehensive national policy framework in place for the repatriation and management of Afghan refugees. Efforts to identify and implement lasting solutions for Afghan refugees and to address their needs along with those of their host communities are undertaken within the framework of the regional multi-year Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees Phase II (2015 to 2017). UNHCR continues to seek and promote innovative solutions for Afghan refugees, ensure protection and assistance, and advocate for preserving protection space in Pakistan.
In addition to the registered Afghan refugees, there are approximately 0.7 million undocumented Afghans in Pakistan. This population does not fall under UNHCR’s mandate, however those with international protection needs can apply for asylum.
Natural disasters
Pakistan is prone to natural disasters including monsoon floods, earthquakes, cyclones and drought. In addition, areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces continue to experience drought-like conditions. Nearly every year in the monsoon season (July to September), flooding of major rivers displaces large numbers of people, and leads to large-scale loss of standing crops, and contamination of water sources. Flash floods in the mountainous north, tend to have a higher death toll and cause large-scale damage to infrastructure.
The Government of Pakistan only requests international humanitarian assistance for natural disasters if the scale exceeds government response capacity. However, based on risk and vulnerability analysis, there is a need to enhance government and humanitarian capacity to ensure timely, effective and principled responses to future emergencies.
Improved risk and hazard analysis, capacity building and strengthening linkages to specific line departments and development actors are needed to ensure an effective and sustainable emergency response capacity.
Child malnutrition at emergency levels
Malnutrition is a chronic problem in Pakistan, exceeding emergency levels in areas across the country.10 An estimated 31.5 per cent of children under five years old are underweight and 43.7 per cent are stunted.11 Roughly half of all women in Pakistan, are iron and micronutrient deficient;2 a situation that has deteriorated in recent years. In addition, practices such as the late start of breastfeeding are common and contribute to high neonatal mortality rates.