Unhcr's Long-Standing Presence In Afghanistan: A Historical Overview

Afghanistan has been facing a humanitarian crisis for over 40 years, with millions of Afghans seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. The country has suffered from repeated crises, including conflict, economic collapse, drought, and food insecurity. Afghans constitute one of the largest refugee populations worldwide, with 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees globally, 2.2 million of whom are in Iran and Pakistan alone. The Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan have been hosting Afghan refugees for decades and continue to do so. UNHCR has been providing vital humanitarian relief to Afghans, both within Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries, focusing on protecting the most vulnerable and assisting newly displaced Afghans with life-saving shelter, food, water, and core relief items. The organisation has maintained a robust operational presence in Afghanistan and is committed to staying and delivering aid to those in need.

UNHCR's work in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been in a state of crisis for over 40 years, with millions of Afghans seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. The UNHCR has been working to protect the most vulnerable Afghans and assist those who are newly displaced.

The UNHCR is committed to staying and delivering aid in Afghanistan to protect the most vulnerable and assist Afghans in accessing life-saving shelter, food, water, core relief items, community infrastructure, and psychosocial support. The organization has been delivering emergency responses to Afghans in need, and since the beginning of 2021, it has provided emergency assistance to over 230,000 people, including cash assistance, shelter kits, hygiene support, and other essential relief items.

The UNHCR is particularly focused on protecting women and girls, who are at risk of human rights violations, and whose fundamental rights are under threat. The organization is also committed to advocating for the continued participation of female aid workers.

In addition to its work within Afghanistan, the UNHCR is also supporting Afghan refugees in neighbouring countries. The Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan host the majority of Afghan refugees globally, with over 2 million registered Afghan refugees between the two countries. The UNHCR is providing support to these host countries, including by covering the cost of secondary and tertiary health care insurance for over 260,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Iran, and by widening access to primary and secondary education for over 60,000 refugee children in Pakistan.

The UNHCR is also working to coordinate the international community's response to the Afghanistan crisis. In 2012, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, with the support of UNHCR, developed the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) to support voluntary repatriation, sustainable reintegration, and assistance to host countries. A Support Platform for the SSAR was created in 2019, led by Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, with the UNHCR acting as a secretariat. The platform enables enhanced coordination and cooperation on solutions for Afghan refugees.

The UNHCR has also launched a Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) for 2023, which requires $613 million in funding for 40 organizations working across various sectors, including protection, health, food security, shelter, education, and more. The organization is committed to staying and delivering aid in Afghanistan and prioritizing the needs and rights of the most vulnerable.

The Afghanistan situation

Afghanistan has been in a state of crisis for over forty years, with millions of people experiencing conflict, economic collapse, drought, and food insecurity. The country faces an ongoing humanitarian crisis, with 24 million people in need of vital humanitarian relief inside Afghanistan and 5.7 million Afghans and host communities in five neighbouring countries requiring support. The situation has deteriorated further since 2021, with the Taliban takeover leading to an increase in the number of refugees and a decline in the number of returnees.

Afghans constitute one of the largest refugee populations worldwide, with 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees globally, 2.2 million of whom are in Iran and Pakistan. In addition, there are 3.5 million individuals internally displaced within Afghanistan. The country has suffered from repeated crises, including natural disasters, chronic poverty, and food insecurity. The resilience of refugees, internally displaced people, and host communities is slowly reaching its limit.

The UNHCR is committed to staying and delivering in Afghanistan, focusing on protecting the most vulnerable and assisting newly displaced Afghans with life-saving shelter, food, water, core relief items, community infrastructure, and psychosocial support. The organisation has strengthened its seasonal support with targeted assistance such as blankets, stoves, solar lanterns, insulation kits, and support for heating and clothing during the winter.

The inter-agency Refugee Response Plan (RRP) for 2024 will be recalibrated into a multi-year plan to support longer-term resilience, inclusion, and solutions for refugees and host communities in the five refugee-hosting countries. UNHCR will also work to mobilise financial and technical assistance for the Support Platform for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) and advocate for the continued participation of female aid workers.

The United Nations and non-governmental organisations have launched plans for 2023 to deliver vital humanitarian relief to 23.7 million people in Afghanistan and support 7.9 million displaced Afghans and local communities in five neighbouring countries. The Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) for 2023 requires $613 million in funding for 40 organisations working across various sectors, including protection, health, nutrition, food security, and education.

Afghan refugees worldwide

Afghanistan has been producing refugees for over 40 years, making it one of the largest and most protracted displacement crises in history. The country has suffered from continuous wars, political and religious persecution, natural disasters, chronic poverty, and food insecurity. The majority of Afghan refugees have fled to neighbouring countries, with the Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan hosting the most. Smaller numbers have gone to India, countries in the former Soviet Union, Turkey, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, the United Kingdom, and many other countries.

Afghan Refugees in Iran and Pakistan

As of October 2023, there are an estimated 3.7 million Afghans in Pakistan, with Pakistani authorities believing the number to be as high as 4.4 million. However, only 2.7 million hold the required documentation to stay in the country. On the other hand, Iran has approximately 780,000 registered Afghan refugees, while Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees estimates the total number of Afghans in the country to be around 3 million.

Iran and Pakistan provide over 2 million registered Afghan refugees with access to their national health and education services, as well as other support. These two countries have generously accommodated Afghan refugees for over four decades. In 2023, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations launched plans to deliver vital humanitarian relief to 23.7 million people in Afghanistan and support 7.9 million displaced Afghans and local communities in five neighbouring countries.

Afghan refugees are spread across the globe, with native people of Afghanistan and their children residing in at least 96 countries. The largest and oldest communities outside the immediate region exist in Germany, with a total of 425,000 persons of Afghan descent residing in the country as of the end of 2022. The United States has one of the largest and oldest Afghan populations in the Americas, with about 250,000 residing in the country as of 2022. Brazil has also become a destination for Afghan refugees, with about 4,000 arriving in the country as of June 2023.

The total number of registered Afghan refugees worldwide is approximately 2.6 million, with 2.2 million of them in Iran and Pakistan alone. Additionally, there are 3.5 million individuals internally displaced within Afghanistan. Afghans constitute one of the largest refugee populations worldwide, and the crisis shows no signs of abating.

The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been suffering from a humanitarian crisis for over forty years, with conflict, natural disasters, chronic poverty, and food insecurity causing millions to flee their homes. The crisis has intensified since the Taliban took control of the country in August 2021, with human rights abuses, economic collapse, and a cut-off of foreign aid creating a situation where over half of the population requires humanitarian assistance.

The crisis in Afghanistan has resulted in a massive displacement of people, with over 8 million Afghans forced to flee their homes or their country. This has led to a situation where Afghanistan has one of the largest protracted refugee situations in the world, with neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Iran hosting millions of refugees. Within Afghanistan, it is estimated that over 3 million people are internally displaced due to conflict.

The crisis has had a severe impact on the lives of Afghan women and girls, with the Taliban imposing restrictive policies on their daily lives. Women have been banned from working in certain sectors, including NGOs, and girls have been barred from attending secondary school and university. Women are also not allowed to participate in political or public life and cannot move around without a male chaperone. These restrictions have limited their access to education, employment, and other basic services, and have made them more vulnerable to gender-based discrimination and violence.

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is further exacerbated by acute food insecurity, with half of the population experiencing hunger. The healthcare system is also on the brink of collapse, and the economy is in free fall. Recurrent natural disasters, including droughts and earthquakes, have added to the woes of the Afghan people, with limited access to clean water and destruction of infrastructure.

The international community has been providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, but the response has been hampered by funding shortfalls and challenges in delivering aid due to the political situation and bureaucratic constraints. However, organisations like the UNHCR remain committed to delivering vital humanitarian relief to those in need within Afghanistan and supporting refugees in neighbouring countries.

UNHCR's emergency response

Afghanistan has been facing a crisis for over four decades now, making it the largest crisis in the Asia Pacific region. The country has been suffering from conflict, economic collapse, drought, and freezing winter temperatures. The crisis has led to a situation where millions of Afghans are facing hunger and misery. The ongoing crisis has also led to a collapse of the healthcare system, a threat to the fundamental rights of women and girls, and a struggling economy.

UNHCR and its partners have been working to deliver vital humanitarian relief to Afghanistan. The organization has been providing emergency response support to the country, focusing on protecting the most vulnerable and assisting newly displaced Afghans with life-saving shelter, food, water, and core relief items. The UNHCR has also been working with its partners to deliver humanitarian relief to those affected by the crisis.

As part of its emergency response, the UNHCR has:

• Provided cash assistance, in-kind assistance such as household core relief item kits, and supported infrastructure and services in Priority Areas of Return and Reintegration.
• Assisted with livelihoods programmes, such as poultry raising, computer training, coding classes, tailoring classes, and midwifery training courses for women.
• Implemented cash-for-work programmes to provide income to thousands of men and support their families.
• Supported the sustainable return and reintegration of displaced Afghans to their places of origin, with over 920,000 conflict-displaced Afghans returning voluntarily since 2021.
• Distributed relief kits, including buckets and jerry cans, to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
• Established hand-washing stations and distributed hygiene kits, including soap and face masks.
• Provided emergency cash support to help displaced families cope with the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Worked with other humanitarian partners to provide shelter and emergency supplies to those affected by the crisis.

The UNHCR has also been active in advocating for the continued participation of female aid workers and addressing the needs of vulnerable groups, including women, girls, children, youth, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, refugees, and ethnic and religious minorities.

The organization has been committed to staying and delivering aid in Afghanistan, and it has been working closely with other humanitarian partners to provide coordinated emergency responses to the ongoing crisis. However, the UNHCR has also noted that more humanitarian aid is urgently needed to protect and assist those affected by the crisis.

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