Context
After more than four decades of protracted displacement, Pakistan currently hosts approximately 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees with Proof of Registration (PoR) as well as Afghan Citizen Card holders and undocumented persons, totalling more than 3 million forcibly displaced Afghans.
To address this problem, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan with the support of the UNHCR, developed the regional response framework known as the "Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR)" in 2012. This strategy was reinforced by the adoption of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) in 2019. In addition, the Support Platform for the SSAR, launched at the 2019 Global Refugee Forum, aims to secure stronger international political and financial commitments to address the needs of Afghan refugees, in line with the objectives of the GCR. The Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), in particular the Chief Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CCAR), and its provincial subsidiaries, are tasked with implementing the SSAR.
Objective
Support the Government of Pakistan in the promotion of social cohesion between forced displaced Afghans and host communities.
Approach
The project aims to promote stability, peaceful coexistence, and social cohesion in the provinces of Baluchistan, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. It has three key objectives:
-Pomoting peaceful coexistence between forced displaced Afghans and host communities
-Esuring sustainability and local integration of existing Urban Cohesion Hubs
-Supporting actors in political processes through capacity development
Based on an inclusive approach, the project provides a range of services in urban areas to promote social cohesion between refugees and host communities. Implemented through a localisation approach, the project aims to develop synergies with various stakeholders to build their capacities in refugee management, address the needs of displaced populations for their empowerment, facilitate policy dialogue, and contribute to durable solutions for displaced Afghans.