Afghanistan

Strategic objectives

The refugee response plan (RRP) will maintain an areabased approach that considers 1) the priority needs of both refugees and other affected populations living in the same areas and 2) advocacy efforts regarding Afghanistan’s responsibilities under international legal frameworks. As a cross-cutting objective, the plan will prioritize the specific needs of refugee women and girls and persons with disabilities. In line with the HNRP, the RRP will monitor, mitigate and address protection risks of refugees, as well as build resilience.

Overview

Refugees continued to seek asylum in Afghanistan in 2024, primarily from Iran and from Pakistan, due to complex political reasons and/or a membership to particular social groups. Despite challenges faced in Afghanistan, women and girls were forced to flee to Afghanistan where an effective access to territory and cross border community ties offered the only alternative to risks faced in the countries of origin. Due to the lack of national framework and system on asylum in Afghanistan, refugees remain one of the most vulnerable groups in Afghanistan. Overall, Afghanistan hosts approximately 35,000 refugees and asylum seekers, including almost 20,000 children, most of whom were displaced from Pakistan to Afghanistan in 2014 and are currently dispersed across urban and rural locations in Khost and Paktika provinces. Additionally, some 460 refugees and asylum seekers from various nationalities reside in urban areas in Kabul and Herat provinces.

Humanitarian needs

Refugees in Afghanistan are exposed to a lack of documentation, with 94 per cent of refugee households interviewed between January and August 2024 reporting an absence of civil documentation.¹ This gap restricts access to basic services, education and freedom of movement. The absence of state-issued documentation and of a legally recognized right to work limited refugees’ access to employment with direct consequences in terms of access to food, housing, healthcare, legal assistance and mental health and psychosocial support needs. Between January and August 2024, 38% of interviewed refugee households were not able to access food assistance, 69% healthcare services, 25% drinking water and 94% psychosocial support services. Refugee households also pointed at challenges with housing, including absence of safety due to the location or insecure shelters for 62% of households interviewed and overcrowding for 50%.²

Over 53% of all refugees and asylum-seekers were women and girls. In the absence of legal framework on refugees and since the adoption of the PVPV law, the needs of refugee women have increased due to restrictions on movement, education and employment.

The needs of refugees living in urban areas, including in Herat and Kabul, are particularly severe due to high costs of living. In rural areas facing acute food insecurity, including Paktika and Khost, refugees face multiple deprivations resulting in extreme food insecurity outcomes.

Response strategy

Approach: The RRP will target all refugees, using an area-based approach responding to the needs of all individuals irrespective of their status.

Prioritization: Considering the protracted situation of the vast majority of refugees, the RRP will prioritize activities that support refugees’ immediate needs while also enhancing economic self-reliance, ensuring that the refugee population becomes a part of the broader community and identify durable solutions. To that aim, the RRP will prioritize support to legal assistance services, including increasing access to civil documentation; child protection; women protection and MHPSS. RRP partners will continue to advocate for the regularization of the legal status of asylum-seekers and refugees, with the aim to provide greater legal protection and social rights and to facilitate solutions via civil documentation, education, livelihood and employment.

Age, Gender and Diversity: The specific needs of women and children will continue to be identified upon registration and documentation by UNHCR, ensuring adequate referrals and case management.

Coordination: UNHCR will continue to lead and coordinate the implementation of the inter-agency RRP in line with the Refugee Coordination Model, collaborating and consulting with all RRP partners.

Operational environment

It is expected that the RRP will continue to be implemented in the absence of a national framework and system on refugees, hindering the capacity of RRP partners to build a longer-and rights-based resilience. In the absence of legally recognized rights, the overall economic situation will disproportionally impact refugees due to high costs of living, lack of access to support systems and limited community support.