Last updated 19/03/2018
Introduction
For many years, north-western Pakistan, which borders Afghanistan, has been marred by military and insurgent operations.
The result is human suffering and large-scale internal population displacements in an area that is already poorly developed. This is compounded by the presence of some 2.7 million Afghan refugees. Additionally, Pakistan experiences recurring floods and earthquakes, and suffers some of the world's worst food insecurity and chronic malnutrition.
What are the needs?
The north-western region of Pakistan and the areas bordering Afghanistan are affected by large scale displacements due to insurgency. The most recent conflict developments in 2014 prompted the displacement of over a million, adding to people still displaced from previous years and putting a strain on the already limited facilities in the hosting areas.
While more than 1.5 million IDPs have returned to their places of origin following an acceleration of returns over the past two years, over 174 000 people remained displaced as of December 2017. Displaced families require shelter, food, medicine, safe drinking water, and education services for their children.
Pakistan is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries and frequently experiences multiple disasters in a given year.
In recent years, the province of Sindh has been repeatedly affected by both floods and drought, further affecting the food security and livelihood opportunities. High levels of malnutrition, coupled with limited access to water, sanitation and medical services, have compromised the health and coping capacities of the most vulnerable communities. The Afghan refugee crisis is among the largest and most protracted refugee crises in the world. Since 2015, there has been increasing pressure on refugees to return, often through harassment and intimidation, requiring a concomitant increase in protection services.