As at 21 March, 1,052 refugees have returned to Afghanistan from neighboring and nonneighboring countries (756 from Pakistan) in 2018. 34,381 as at 2 March individuals have been newly displaced by conflict since 1 January 2018 and profiled by OCHA as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in need. 76,000 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). In 2017, UNHCR facilitated the voluntary return of 58,817 individuals (98% from Pakistan, 2% from Iran and other countries).
Cash Grant
UNHCR’s unconditional cash grants to returnees are intended 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, and lasts one to three months according to phone interviewes with returnees (3-5 months after they have passed through the Encashment Centres. UNHCR provides cash assistance of an average of US$200 per person through its four Encashment Centres. An independent evaluation of the cash grant is currently being conducted, to better understand the impact of the repatriation cash grant and inform UNHCR’s programming on the use of the cash grant as an important protection tool.
In 2018, UNHCR assisted 1,052 individuals who returned to Afghanistan with cash grants (756 from Pakistan, 247 from Iran, 35 from Tajikistan, and 14 from India), as of 21 March.
Management of Encashment Centres
UNHCR in coordination with the Ministry/Department of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR/DoRR) and its partners manage 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 (implemented by Ministry of Public Health with support from WHO and UNICEF), mine risk awareness (coordinated by UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and implemented by the Danish Demining Group, 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.