Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s multifaceted crisis, worsened by natural disasters, geopolitical pressures, economic hardships, and social inequalities, continues to escalate vulnerabilities among affected communities and drive a growing demand for adequate shelters. These needs are particularly critical for female-headed households, returnees, and internally displaced persons (IDPs), who face systemic barriers to accessing adequate shelter and essential services. WOAA 2025 indicates that 31% of the people interviewed lack sufficient winter cloth.

Looking ahead to 2026, Afghanistan’s susceptibility to earthquakes, floods, and landslides is anticipated to further strain shelter resources. In 2025, more than 15,000 individuals were affected by floods and heavy rains, out of which 90% remain in tents or damaged homes as partners lack resources for repairs. Additionally, over 4 million individuals returned to Afghanistan, with 50% arriving since January 2025, yet 24% of these families continue to cite shelter as their primary need, underscoring the shortfall in shelter support. Despite a reduction in informal settlements over the past two years, an estimated 390,000 households continue to reside in nearly 900 informal settlement sites across the country. These settlements are also accommodating the recent returnees from Pakistan. In 2025, around 950 families that were residing in Kabul returned to their original homes, with a further 14,000 families expected to follow in 2026, requiring both immediate and sustained reintegration assistance.

In 2025, more than 16,000 families affected by earthquakes and floods remain in tents or damaged homes due to limited resources for repairs. Additionally, more than 2 million¹ individuals. Despite a reduction in informal settlements, approximately 5,500 households are still living in tents across 4 districts, including the recent Earthquake affected people in Kunar who remain in high need of repair and reconstruction of their shelters.

According to the findings from the Whole of Afghanistan Assessment 2025, gender disparities have also deepened, impacting female-headed households, returnees, and displaced groups disproportionately. Female-headed households report higher incidences of inadequate or non-functional shelters and face increased eviction risks due to insecure tenure. Shelter conditions are notably poorer for female-headed households compared to male-headed households, with a higher incidence of inadequate or non-functional shelters—15% for women versus 12% for men—indicating a more vulnerable profile. Additionally, the absence of secure occupancy agreements puts the most vulnerable at heightened risk of eviction, affecting 29% of female-headed households compared to 23% of male-headed ones. Rural areas report dependency on inadequate heating sources, with 16% of female-headed households relying on wastepaper, cardboard, or plastic, compared to only 4% among male-headed households.

Deepening gender disparities particularly affect female-headed households, returnees, and displaced groups and their access to humanitarian support. Female-headed households report higher incidences of inadequate shelters and face greater eviction risks due to insecure tenure. Addressing these needs requires a coordinated, gender-sensitive approach focused on shelter and essential NFIs for the most vulnerable people. Furthermore, the qualitative assessment on the inclusion of women in Emergency Shelter (ES) and Non-Food Items (NFI) programming, conducted by the Cluster in collaboration with REACH back in 2024, highlights significant vulnerabilities faced by women, particularly those in female-headed households. Economic constraints and social barriers limit their access to secure shelter, often leaving them in makeshift structures or damaged homes for extended periods. Additionally, cultural norms, lack of training, and restricted mobility hinder women’s participation in shelter repair, reinforcing their dependence on male labor and leaving them in inadequate conditions for longer periods. Without male guardians, women are also more vulnerable to exploitation and face limited access to essential items including heating materials. Providing Transitional Shelter (TS) addresses these challenges as it serves as a foundational step, offering "a start to home” in the early recovery phase that improves security and supports women’s dignity.

Response strategy

In line with the 2026 strategic objectives, the ESNFI Cluster will maintain its core functions to ensure crisis-affected populations of all genders and diversities, including those with specific protection needs and persons with disabilities, receive timely access to emergency shelter, NFIs, transitional shelter solutions, repairs, and winter assistance. To address widening gender disparities, the Cluster will prioritize shelter options such as repairs, retrofitting, and transitional solutions tailored to vulnerable groups, particularly women, girls, and individuals with specific needs who spent most of their time inside their houses with limited mobility outside.

Given the increasing frequency of climate and natural disasters (e.g. floods, earthquakes, landslides, etc.), the Cluster will strengthen anticipatory action by advancing contingency planning and advocating for the prepositioning and replenishment of emergency shelter, NFI, and winterization stockpiles: these resources that were rapidly depleted during the severe floods and earthquake events during 2025.

Assistance will target households affected by sudden-onset disasters; (1) vulnerable families at risk of eviction, (2) vulnerable cross-border returnees, (3) families with protracted needs following 2025 disasters, (4) drought-affected households; and (5) populations in high-priority districts requiring winterization support.

The Cluster will continue providing lifesaving emergency shelter and NFI support to ensure immediate physical protection and essential living space for people impacted by new crises. Seasonal winter assistance will also be delivered to vulnerable families in high-risk districts who remain exposed to extreme cold and lack the means to cope with harsh winter conditions

Assistance will be provided through flexible modalities, including in-kind, cash, and vouchers, to meet diverse needs effectively. Where applicable, implementation of shelter projects will be done through owner-driven or neighborhood approaches that encourage community participation and that offer a level of flexibility and choice to beneficiaries to adopt local construction practices and materials, while aligning to the Minimum Standards for the Humanitarian Program Cycle in Afghanistan and the Minimum Cluster Technical Standards.

The protection of vulnerable groups, particularly women, children, and persons with disabilities, remains central to the Shelter Cluster’s 2026 HNRP planning. The Cluster will continue to apply robust protection, age, gender, and diversity lens to ensure that the distinct needs of all population groups are identified and prioritized. Assistance will be tailored to the nature of the event or crisis, the stage of displacement, response needs, tenure security, and Cluster Vulnerability Criteria.

Recognizing the critical role of women and girls in shaping effective humanitarian responses, the Cluster will further strengthen gender-responsive programming and advocate for the inclusion of female humanitarian workers at all stages of assessment, decision-making, and delivery. Close collaboration with the de-facto Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, the Durable Solutions Working Group, and the Camp Coordination and Camp Management Working Group (as key members of the Technical Committee) will remain essential to support the safe, voluntary, and dignified return and reintegration of displaced populations.

To address deepening gender disparities and the unmet needs of persons with specific needs (PSNs), the Cluster will prioritize shelter solutions that go beyond emergency responses. Focus will be placed on repairs, retrofitting, and transitional shelter options that ensure safety, privacy, and accessibility. These measures will protect vulnerable individuals from structural hazards, climatic extremes, and security risks commonly associated with emergency shelters. Tailored adaptations, such as ramps, widened doorways, private partitions, and improved lighting, will help reduce exposure to exploitation and gender-based violence, while better insulation, ventilation, and hygiene facilities will mitigate health risks such as respiratory illness and hypothermia. By promoting dignity, safety, and continuity, these interventions will serve as a crucial first step toward stable, long-term living conditions, providing “a start to home” for families with the greatest vulnerabilities.

The Cluster also emphasizes the importance of connecting short-term humanitarian assistance with long-term, sustainable solutions through a phased and incremental approach. Partnerships with Basic Human Needs (BHN) actors will focus on harmonizing shelter strategies, strengthening referral pathways, and advancing integrated planning to address both immediate and future needs. Additionally, disaster preparedness and risk reduction efforts will focus on early warning systems, safe site selection, settlement planning, and climate-adaptive designs, particularly in high-risk areas and this is anchored in the Shelter Cluster’s transitional roadmap.

Furthermore, a localized and inclusive approach will ensure that the shelter and NFI response is tailored to meet the specific needs of local communities and vulnerable populations. This includes empowering local partners through technical and operational support, integrating local design preferences and social considerations into shelter solutions, and ensuring these solutions align with the community's needs. Priority will be given to harmonizing and adopting shelter designs that are adapted to local climate conditions and prevalent disaster risks, thereby reducing vulnerability to future shocks and further reducing the financial burden of beneficiaries while transitioning from early recovery to long-term housing arrangements.

Given the frequent occurrence of climate-related disasters, such as floods, landslides, the Cluster will continue to include anticipatory action as part of its overall strategy developing contingency plans and advocating for the prepositioning and replenishment of emergency shelter and NFI stockpiles.

The Cluster will advocate for partners to adopt area-based settlement approaches at the community level through the technical support of the CCCM WG and partners. These approaches will focus on addressing the diverse needs of both displaced, returnees, and host communities within a defined geographic area, moving beyond targeting specific groups or individuals. Emphasis will be placed on community-driven solutions that combine shelter with infrastructure rehabilitation, upgrade of basic services, and livelihoods support, promoting resilience and fostering social cohesion.

The operational environment in Afghanistan remains highly challenging, with restrictions and bureaucratic barriers that complicate humanitarian efforts. In response, the Cluster will continue to advocate for greater operational flexibility and access, engaging in negotiations with the authorities to preserve humanitarian space, especially during emergency responses. Efforts will also be made to ensure that female humanitarian workers can safely and meaningfully participate in the response.

The Cluster will continue to strengthen its engagement with key de facto government line ministries including Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MUDH), Ministry of Rural, Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR), Afghanistan Natural Disasters Management Authority (ANDMA), to resolve any operational bottlenecks and enhance the shelter/NFI response. Continued collaboration with the de-facto Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, the Durable Solutions Working Group, BHN actors, and merging with HLP and the Camp Coordination and Camp Management Working Group will be critical to support the dignified return and reintegration of displaced persons, ensuring sustainable outcomes for affected families.

As per the humanitarian reset, ES-NFI cluster, HLP and CCCM have already agreed to be merged and will act under the overall umbrella of shelter cluster. Hence, CCCM and HLP activities are as below:

CCCM:

• Improve access to safe and equitable multisectoral services at the site level through enhanced capacity development, coordination, and improved site management.

• Facilitate the transition from emergency to durable solutions by ensuring IDPs are supported in returning to their places of origin with access to essential services for sustainable reintegration.

HLP:

• Vulnerable people of all genders and diversities are able to claim HLP rights and/or possess HLP documents through legal support and advocacy

• Vulnerable people of all genders and diversities are supported towards obtaining a durable housing, land or property solution through strengthened communal property rights or land allocation

• Duty bearers and other actors are capacitated on HLP rights and responsibilities

Response strategy:

The 2026 HLP response plan will prioritize legal support for vulnerable individuals facing land conflicts, eviction, or return to their places of origin. This will include legal awareness, advocacy with authorities, specifically with ministries mandated on housing and land allocation, eviction monitoring, land rights verification, and capacity building for humanitarian actors and other stakeholders. Efforts will also focus on strengthening communal HLP rights in informal settlements, in alignment with CCCM response planning for ISETs monitoring and profiling, through community mapping, planning with authorities, and investments in key infrastructure that integrate HLP, climate resilience, and GBV risk mitigation.

In direct engagement with shelter cluster and consultation with partners, HLP will also develop advocacy materials focused on the HLP rights of vulnerable groups, especially women and integration with shelter response packages. Response strategies will ensure gender and disability inclusivity by employing female staff, conducting assessments and outreach via phone and coordinating with local leaders and community councils to reach all affected individuals. Further, capacity building efforts will extend to both informal and, where possible, formal justice actors, supporting them in high-return areas through legal assistance and land rights strengthening activities, such as mapping and infrastructure investments.

Modalities (cash and in kind)

The ESNFI Cluster ensures a balanced and well-considered approach when determining the feasibility of assistance modalities. It is recommended to adopt either cash or in-kind assistance based on contextual feasibility. Assistance will be provided through flexible modalities, including in-kind, cash, and vouchers, to meet diverse needs effectively. Where applicable, implementation of shelter projects will be done through owner-driven or neighborhood approaches that encourage community participation and that offer a level of flexibility and choice to beneficiaries while aligning to the Minimum Standards for the Humanitarian Program Cycle in Afghanistan and the Minimum Cluster Technical Standard.

• Cash Modality: When opting for cash assistance, it is essential to confirm that local markets are functional and that the modality will not lead to negative consequences for affected populations.

• In-Kind Modality: This approach is preferred when markets are not functioning properly or when there is an urgent need for immediate assistance.

Certain types of support, such as emergency shelter items (tents, tarpaulins, ESK kits) and blankets, should generally be provided in-kind. These items are lifesaving and offer immediate protection against harsh weather conditions. Similarly, shelter repair or transitional shelter assistance, particularly for women-headed households, is often better delivered in-kind, as these households may face challenges in procuring materials from the market.

In principle, the ESNFI Cluster remains flexible in adopting either modality, tailoring the approach to the specific needs and circumstances of the affected population and in alignment with CVWG guidance.

Targeting and prioritisation

The ES-NFI Cluster’s SSC priorities focus on districts and populations facing the highest projected shock impacts in 2026. Target groups include districts with severity 3+ drought or AWD risk, areas with intersectoral acute needs at severity 4+, locations affected by natural disasters (including residual needs from the 2025 eastern earthquake), and all districts receiving cross-border returnees from Pakistan and Iran. The 2026 HNRP planning assumes ongoing drought impacts, AWD as a proxy indicator of wider vulnerability, continued returnee pushbacks, and expected sudden-onset disasters, ensuring assistance is directed to those with the strongest likelihood of severe humanitarian need.

In 2026, the Shelter Cluster aims to support 880-K people with emergency and transitional shelter, non-food items (NFIs), and seasonal assistance, for which $160.3 million is required. The primary focus will be on addressing immediate, lifesaving needs to ensure safety, protection, and safeguard lives, prioritizing communities affected by sudden-onset disasters, high-altitude regions facing harsh winters, recent returnees from Pakistan, and IDPs in ISET voluntary planning to return to their places of origin.

Assistance will be provided across all 34 provinces, in both rural and urban areas, through the delivery of emergency shelter and NFI items, essential winter supplies, repair services, and transitional shelter support. Transitional shelter, repair, and upgrade shelter solutions will be prioritized for persons with specific needs (PSNs), particularly those living in makeshift or damaged homes under severe (phase 4) or catastrophic (phase 5) conditions, and for families who lost fully their shelters during Kunar earthquake.

Further prioritization was conducted by cross-referencing these findings with data from natural disaster tracking (MSRAF), returnee populations (borders consortium), past cluster reach, and partner funding capacities and plans for 2026. As a result, 3 districts falling under severity 5, 35 districts falling under severity 4 and another 354 districts under severity 3 were identified as priority areas. This targeted strategy aims to optimize resource allocation and impact, prevent the response from being overstretched in case of funding constraints, and ensure that vulnerable families in these priority districts receive comprehensive shelter and NFI support.

During the winter season (November-to-March), the Cluster will intensify support in priority districts by providing winterization support (heating, clothing, and essential assistance) to help vulnerable households endure harsh conditions. From April to October, coinciding with spring and flood seasons, the Cluster will scale up shelter support for those affected by natural disasters in hotspot districts, offering immediate shelter support, NFI assistance, and repair and rebuilding support to facilitate recovery.

The response will be adapted based on crisis type, local context, displacement phase, security of tenure and vulnerability level, drawing on lessons learnt, partners' extensive contextual knowledge, existing contingency plans, and the Cluster's established standards. If only 50 per cent of the required funding is secured, the Cluster will focus on immediate, life-saving shelter and sustainable support for half the target population. With just 25 per cent of funding, over 600,000 people will lack critical shelter and winter assistance, heightening risks for persons with disabilities, and exacerbating gender disparities. Women and girls, particularly those in inadequate or non-functional shelters, will face increased eviction risks and may resort to unsafe heating sources, such as wastepaper or plastic, or be left without any heating options during winter.

Targeting and prioritization HLP

HLP partners will focus their response on across 258 districts in with critical HLP needs, in alignment with targeted population groups by shelter cluster, while prioritizing vulnerable groups such as residents of informal settlements, returnees, and households headed by single women, older persons, people with chronic illness, and individuals with disabilities. In all cases, assistance will prioritize women-headed households and women in male-headed households.

Key areas of focus include provinces with large informal settlement populations, border points with high returnee flows (e.g., Torkham and Islam Qala), and regions with high rates of IDPs and returnees returning to their places of origin. If 50 per cent of funding is not secured, half as many people with severe HLP needs will not be reached, leaving affected populations at greater risk of eviction and further restricting access to land and housing. Beyond the immediate humanitarian impact, the failure to secure HLP rights will have long-term consequences, as investments in meeting basic needs will be hindered without secure land and property rights.

Promoting accountable, quality and inclusive programming

The Shelter Cluster in Afghanistan will integrate protection principles across all stages of the humanitarian program cycle, operating through a coordinated structure at national, subnational and provincial levels. It will actively contribute to the HCT, ICCT, and OCTs, prioritizing shelter needs within the age, gender, and diversity (AGD) framework. Regular engagement with authorities will aim to address operational challenges and enhance the delivery of assistance, while standardized needs assessments, indicators and tools, will guide Shelter/ NFI responses.

Shelter cluster partners will be expected to follow Minimum Standards for quality programming and adhere to cluster-specific guidelines. Affected communities, including persons with disabilities and their representative organizations (OPDs) will actively participate in implementing shelter and NFI activities, with interventions targeted to the most vulnerable, in alignment with the Cluster Vulnerability Criteria. Where possible, shelter projects will be implemented through owner-driven approaches that encourage community involvement and provide beneficiaries with flexibility and choice.

The ESNFI cluster started in 2025 and will continue in 2026 to promote technical support for PSNs, covering labor, transport, design modifications, and ensure distribution sites prioritize safety and accessibility. Specific actions that were implemented in 2025 and will continue in 2026 is dedicating 15 per cent of resources to vulnerable households, partnering with women’s organizations and OPDs, prioritizing funding for these groups, and collecting sex-, age- and disability disaggregated data. Further, to address access barriers, especially for female-headed households and individuals with disabilities, the Cluster will continue to collaborate with Gender WG (AAP and GiHA), DIWG, HAWG and the PSEA Network to ensure quality support for vulnerable populations, appointing dedicated focal points, through regional capacity building initiatives, and engaging with AWAAZ on community feedback mechanisms that are accessible for all.

Monitoring and reporting through cluster specific reporting tools will track progress and identify gaps, while PDM and other feedback mechanisms will inform future programming. Cross-cluster collaboration, particularly with HLP and CCCM, Protection, Food Security, Health and WASH, will support a holistic approach to addressing protection concerns, eviction prevention, site planning, and referral of assistance for families with cross cutting needs.

Links to basic services and basic human needs (BHN) programmes

With an estimated 5 million people across Afghanistan expected to require long-term shelter assistance, current Cluster coverage for transitional shelter under the 2026 HNRP addresses only 19 percent of this need. A significant portion of long-term shelter needs are foreseen to be addressed by the Basic Human Needs (BHN) framework.

Priority long-term needs, proposed to be included under BHN, are the remaining shelter gaps from 2025 of over ²114,450 individuals impacted by natural disasters (earthquakes and floodings) in 2025, with more than 91% have fully destroyed and severely damaged houses. Multiple earthquakes in the East and North in September and November 2025 respectively, recent returnees from Pakistan and Iran, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in informal settlements (ISETs) planning to return to their places of origin have increase the number of families who remain in substandard housing conditions and require long-term housing solutions.

The Cluster continues to advocate for resources for transitional shelter and other core facilities. The Cluster transitional shelter solution is intended as an early recovery activity and an initial foundational step towards long-term solutions and does not include essential components necessary for adequate shelter in Afghanistan. Critical elements such as latrine and bathing facilities, a compound wall (important for most Afghan families), an outdoor kitchen, and sufficient space for privacy for women in mixed households are not part of the current design and cost estimate and are anticipated to be further provided by the beneficiary and BHN partners.

The Shelter Cluster recognizes the significance of integrating long-term solutions and capacity-building initiatives with immediate humanitarian assistance to address underlying vulnerabilities. To this end, the Cluster while transitioning in the first half of 2026, will collaborate closely with Basic Human Needs (BHN) partners to lead on the harmonization of shelter solutions across both spectrums, the establishment of a referral mechanism and the activation of the relevant Sectoral Technical Working Groups (STWGs) for long-term housing and reconstruction enabling a cohesive shelter strategy across the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) spectrum. Furthermore, the Cluster will continue to enhance disaster preparedness and promote risk reduction (DRR) focusing on supporting the establishment of early warning systems and adequate site selection & settlement planning approaches to mitigate future risks solutions, especially in high-risk areas.

Lastly, and in alignment with the humanitarian reset and shelter cluster transitional roadmap endorsed by HCT, the Cluster will work closely with BHN partners to develop specific shelter and housing sector (activities, outputs and indicators within the UNSFA during the next Common Country Assessment (CCA) update process planned in 2026, ensuring alignment with cross-cutting priorities such as disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change, and access to housing, land, and property rights.

Cost of the response

In 2026, the ESNFI Cluster seeks $160.3 million to provide support for 880,000 individuals, at an average cost of $182 per person representing a 10% increase from 2025, including the HLP and CCCM activities. This rise reflects expanded transitional shelter targets addressing acute needs and tailored support for PSNs, requiring skilled labor, design adaptations, and safer construction techniques. Costs also include securing land tenure to prevent evictions and assisting IDPs in informal settlements during voluntary returns.

For 2026, HLP will require $4.6 million to target 365,000 people. The average cost per person is $13. Unit costs were determined for HLP activities through consultations with implementing partners. Key drivers of costs include information sharing, the provision of counselling and legal services, documenting land rights and capacity building of duty bearers, such as community representatives and legal stakeholders

Additional expenses stem from gender-sensitive measures, such as segregated spaces and female staff participation, and higher transport costs to reach remote areas. These efforts ensure an inclusive, safe, and accessible shelter/NFI response. Operational and support costs have also risen, partly due to the expenses associated with providing a Mahram (male guardian) to enable access to distribution sites or women participation in shelter-related activities. Tailored distribution practices to address gender and cultural sensitivities, such as segregated spaces, female staff, door to door distribution and arrangements for inclusion of female staff in the HPC, further increase logistical complexity and resource needs. Higher transport costs, driven by requests from beneficiaries, and the need to reach remote or hard-to-access areas also contribute to the overall cost (the example of Kunar EQ). These increased expenses are necessary to ensure the outreach, quality, accessibility, and safety of shelter/NFI programs that meet the diverse needs of affected populations.

Cluster Severity and PiN Calculation Methodology

The Shelter/NFI Cluster’s People in Need (PIN), targets, and financial requirements for the HNRP 2026 have been developed in accordance with the Global Shelter Cluster’s Shelter Severity Classification guidelines and incorporate comprehensive feedback from the Strategic Advisory Group, Subnational Clusters and Partners.

Prioritization is based on geographical boundaries and areas with the greatest impact, including districts frequently affected by natural disasters, those with high numbers of returnees, high-altitude districts experiencing severe winter conditions, districts hosting large numbers of IDPs in informal settlements at risk of eviction and lastly districts with significant protracted humanitarian shelter needs.

The severity of needs is evaluated using a set of indicators across three pillars: shelter adequacy, access to NFIs, and access to services, categorized from level 1 (minimal) to level 5 (catastrophic). These sectoral indicators provide a detailed assessment of shelter conditions for families, their access to NFIs and services particularly during winter. This approach adheres to the Global Shelter Severity Classification Tool, ensuring consistency in determining the level of needs across each population group.

The Cluster seeks to focus efforts on addressing immediate life-saving emergency shelter/NFI needs of people affected by sudden-onset natural or manmade disasters as well as addressing shelter needs of persons with Specific Needs (PSNs). These two priorities ensure immediate safety, safeguard lives, and address the specific vulnerabilities of affected groups.

In 2026, the Shelter Cluster reduced its targets for emergency shelter by 14 per cent, NFI assistance, and seasonal winter support by 30 per cent in comparison to 2025 targets. This adjustment is due to increased prioritization to realistically reflect the shrinking funding environment impacting humanitarian operations and programs. In addition, the shelter cluster increased targets for transitional shelter support by 10 per cent driven by a significant rise in shelter needs, the destruction of more than 8,000 houses caused by Kunar earthquake, widening gender disparities with female-headed households reporting a higher prevalence of inadequate and/or non-functional shelters compared to male headed households. The objective is to deliver immediate, life-saving shelter assistance to those living in makeshift or damaged homes, with a particular focus on Persons with Specific Needs (PSNs) who are experiencing severe and catastrophic shelter conditions. The cluster aims to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of PSNs by providing essential support that protects them from environmental elements, improves health conditions, and enhances privacy and security, especially for women and children. This assistance also plays a vital role in enabling access to services, supporting livelihoods, and building resilience.

The cluster unit cost for emergency shelter support through cash-for-rent programs has increased to prioritize urgent shelter needs for individuals in urban settings and those in hosting arrangements.³ The Cluster has also introduced a new activity prioritizing the provision of immediate assistance to IDPs in ISETS who voluntarily plan to return to their places of origin in 2026 under CCCM working group.

ESNFI cluster Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) and Subnational teams' technical input and consultation inform the overall planning process, to ensure that the need and response is contextually relevant, evidence-based, localized, and technically coherent.

Monitoring Strategy

• Monthly reporting: response will be monitored through monthly reports provided by partners via Report Hub. The results of the analysis will be published monthly to reflect gaps in the response against the HRP.

• Stockpile monthly monitoring: stocks monitoring and funding will continue via Report Hub and the Financial Tracking Service (FTS) respectively.

• Impact monitoring: PDMs.

• Winterization response tracking (dashboard, capacity, stocks, response, etc)

• Dashboard and Activity-based tracker and emergency response (capacity, gaps and needs) trackers - shared with partners.

• Interactive dashboards (Static and online/ e.g., Stockpile, monthly response snapshot, winterization response & capacities and the Herat earthquake dashboard): updated based on partners’ input to provide real time information on gaps, achievement, coverage by partners at national and subnational level.

Source of data and analysis:

• Whole of Afghanistan Assessment (WoAA)
• Partners’ activities and response reporting
• ESNFI Cluster NFI stockpile monitoring
• Humanitarian Situation Monitoring (HSM)
• DTM IOM
• DTM AGVA IOM
• Border consortium - returnees monitoring
• Cluster specific assessments conducted in collaboration with REACH, RAM etc.
• Partners’ independent assessments
• MSRAF data – community level
• MRAT data – HH level.
• IOM Health Assessment Programmes (HAP).
• Emergency Response Mechanism (ERM).
• UNHCR Rapid Household Assessment
• Protection Analysis
• CCCM ISET Mapping / IOM ISET monitoring

The Cluster will continue to rely on the Whole of Afghanistan Assessment (WoAA), and Cluster-led assessments as its key data sources. Other proxy sources will be sought including individual partner assessments, MSRAF, DTM, DTM AGVA monitoring, border consortium returnees monitoring, Humanitarian Situation Monitoring (HSM), among others.