In 2020, a total of 3.4 million refugees, returnees, IDPs and host community members benefited from UNHCR’s assistance.
2,147 Afghan refugee returnees were assisted for voluntary repatriation with cash grants and other services.
Through a whole of community approach a total of 836,667 returnees, IDPs, refugees and host community members in 20 Priority Areas of Return and Reintegration (PARRs) benefited from protection and community services, livelihood support and improved access to education, health, water, clean energy supply and other services.
Through 1,810 protection monitoring missions in 1,482 communities in 34 provinces, UNHCR reached 61,370 respondents through focus group discussions and household interviews, with 50% female respondents.
The use of cash-based initiatives to channel assistance increased in 2020, with 129,042 people receiving various sectoral cash assistance grants, through regular support programmes and COVID-19-related response.
Activities aimed at preventing and mitigating the effects of COVID-19 reached 2,168,670 individuals cumulatively, through cash support to the most vulnerable, distribution of non-food items (core relief items) and installation of hand washing stations, hygiene and personal protection assistance as well as through protection assessments at border crossings and awareness-raising.
10,903 refugees, IDPs, and returnees with specific needs received cash, in-kind and referral assistance. Assisted cases included persons with serious medical conditions, women at risk, children at risk, older persons at risk, persons with a disability, and single parents.
32,498 vulnerable refugees (7,314 families) were supported with cash for food as part of COVID-19 response. UNHCR registered seven individuals (including two new registrations and five newborns) and processed the successful resettlement of seven cases composed of 25 individuals.
113,845 IDPs benefited from emergency shelter and core relief items. 634 Refugee Housing Units (RHUs) were provided for education facilities, health facilities, transit and screening centres. 1,106 IDP and returnee families with 2,906 family members were supported with cash to build permanent shelters. 16,998 returnees and IDPs were assisted with solar packages to generate light at home. 3,170 persons benefited from livelihoods interventions.
Through UNHCR’s leadership of the Protection and Emergency Shelter and NFI clusters, some 2,704,633 individuals received protection services and coordinated response for shelter and core relief items reached 836,175 people.
Partnership with Government institutions was further strengthened in 2020, with outreach to more line ministries and a focus on supporting local authorities. The Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework (ANPDF-II, 2021-2025) considers the needs of returnees and IDPs in 10 of the 15 National Priority Programmes (NPPs) across different sectors, and advocacy continues to ensure the inclusion of refugees.
In line with the Government commitment to the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), UNHCR has worked with relevant line ministries and development actors to enhance self-reliance of Afghan refugee returnees, IDPs and host community members. In addition, UNHCR worked closely with the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation and local Governorates in Khost and Paktika to strengthen their capacities for management of the refugee response, another key component deriving from the CRRF.