In 2017, 58,817 refugees have returned to Afghanistan from neighboring and nonneighboring countries (57,411 Pakistan).
17,168 as at 19 February individuals have been newly displaced by conflict since 1 January 2018 and profiled by OCHA as internally displaced persons (IDPs).
87,247 Pakistani refugees from North-Waziristan Agency biometrically registered in Khost province and verified in Paktika province.
Main Activities
Repatriation
UNHCR Facilitated Voluntary Repatriation (VolRep) Programme UNHCR continues to facilitate voluntary repatriation of registered Afghan refugees from Pakistan and Iran in conditions of safety and dignity, under the Tripartite Agreements with the respective Governments and UNHCR.
The Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) is the regional platform for Afghan refugees (Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan). UNHCR’s facilitated Voluntary Repatriation programme from Pakistan entered a three-month winter break from 1 December 2017 to 28 February 2018. In 2017, UNHCR facilitated the voluntary return of 58,817 individuals (98% from Pakistan, 2% from Iran and other countries).
Cash Grant
Through protection monitoring, UNHCR has identified that unconditional cash grants to returnees are one of the most effective means to prevent, reduce, and respond to protection risks and vulnerabilities. The cash grant remains a key component of UNHCR’s Protection Strategy to assist returnees to meet their immediate humanitarian needs, as well as transport to their place of origin or destination. UNHCR provides cash assistance of an average of US$200 per person through its four Encashment Centres. In 2018, UNHCR assisted 170 individuals who returned to Afghanistan with cash grants (117 from Iran, 35 from Tajikistan, 12 from India and 6 from Pakistan who were processed in 2017), as of 14 February.
Management of Encashment Centres UNHCR in coordination with the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR/DoRR) and its implementing partners manages four Encashment Centres, located in Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat and Kabul. In addition to cash grants, a range of services including basic health screening, referrals to emergency services and vaccinations for children (Ministry of Public Health supported by WHO and UNICEF), mine risk awareness (UNMAS and the Danish Demining Group (DDG), educational information, referral for information and legal assistance to obtain civil documentation (tazkira), child friendly spaces and a transit facility for overnight accommodation is provided by the Ministry of Public Health supported by WHO and UNICEF.
At the Centres, UNHCR also conducts household level interviews to assess the voluntary nature of return, return trends and protection risks in asylum and during return. During interviews persons with specific needs are identified by UNHCR and DoRR/MoRR and referred to service providers for assessment and potential assistance.