Khost & Paktika: 1 Year On Achievements & Gaps

©UNHCR/J. Sobral

start in 2016 aligned with the BACKGROUND AN EVOLVING CONTEXT Government of Pakistan Following military operations mid- As of December 2014, the number programme for the return of IDPs June 2014 in Pakistan’s North of displaced families crossing into to North Waziristan. Waziristan Agency, families began Afghanistan in search of crossing into southeastern protection had almost increased A summary of the key sectors one Afghanistan. Within the first ten fourfold, from approximately year on: days, an estimated 10,000 families 10,000 families to more than arrived in Khost and Paktika 38,900 (291,800 individuals). With Shelter: Initial response efforts provinces. Families left suddenly, the onset of cold weather, a focused on providing tents to

Khost & Paktika with few belongings and settled number of families moved out of quickly house and protect people spontaneously in Gulan Camp in remote mountainous communities from the elements. However as Gurboz district of Khost province, in Spera and Tani and into Gulan the situation stretched into winter, or in host communities. UNHCR Camp and the Khost provincial agencies had to respond with and partners have been on the capital. The population of Gulan supplies to help winterize and ground since the beginning, Camp grew from 4,000 families in weather-proof the tents during conducting assessments, October to over 6,000 at the end delivering assistance and of December. By 30 May 2015 THANK YOU coordinating response efforts with there were 32,576 families with provincial officials and refugees. over 205,000 individuals, with UNHCR appreciates the 23,006 families in Khost including generous support of the Central At the initial stages of the 10,000 families in Gulan camp and Emergency Response Fund emergency, immediate life-saving 9,570 families in Paktika. (CERF), donors to the Common support was critical and Humanitarian Fund (CHF), organizations responding were As the situation stabilized, European Commission focused on delivering food, water response has shifted from Humanitarian Aid and Civil and sanitation, shelter, NFIs, and emergency to community-based, Protection department (ECHO) basic health services, including solution-oriented interventions. It the People of Japan, the vaccines. Mine clearance activities reflects the likelihood that Republic of South Korea, and the were also prioritized, as it was refugees will remain in United States of America. realized that the self-settled camp Afghanistan, in anticipation of the was mined. gradual voluntary repatriation to colder temperatures and some

Health partners borne diseases and malaria, - water scarcity in season, endemic the prevalence summer water of and poor hygiene practices. There is a dire support to need meet for demand for the already overstretched additional increased medical services. malnutrition could be a concern, serious resultsanalyzed but will are where help nutrition identify treatments being interventions required. are and Health: conducted extensive vaccination campaigns against polio and have started campaigns measles as the risk spreading vaccination of rapid of preventable diseases is contagious high due to but very low vaccination coverage of the Although there were refugee outbreaks, no they continue to major be a population. major concern refugee for population and both hosting communities, mainly due the to the

The The 2015 Humanitarian Response Plan requested USD 41.6 million for all of the agencies responding to the refugee response. As of 30 June 2015, it is 34.6%.estimated funded at an already high malnutrition rates in the provinces. recently conducted A and indicates survey was malnutrition. As progresses, the situation malnutrition rises, especially as an the additional burden riskcommunities for hosting may of exacerbate Shelter The 2014

durable temporary - Since the onset of the available materials to r i sk prov i nces for - -

up to winter. - Health & Nutrition: Humanitarian Needs showed both Overview Khost and provinces Paktika were among hi gh the 13 host communities refugee families have supporting exhausted their resources, livestock that some refugees were and able as to bring have been used for the food. Food: refugee response, have indicated food assessments assistance to be a top priority. This has become more critical as many families and construct semi shelters of mud bricks and other locally protect refugees and host families from elements in particular in the lead tents needed following to harsh weather. be interventions replaced aim efforts, to already camps support and host communities, underway to in

UNHCR Mid-Year Report

Khost & Paktika

Water & Sanitation: Water, awareness trainings. Although included basic household and Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) great progress has been made, kitchen items as well as sanitary are critical to prevent outbreak of there are still gaps in relation to kits. In the lead-up to winter, there diseases, ensure access to basic the limited pre-existing sanitation was an extensive effort across life-saving measures and prevent infrastructure and the continued both provinces to get warm potential conflict over limited increasing demand for potable clothes, extra blankets, and safe water resources. WASH partners water. heating materials out to families. in both provinces have With the coming winter, certain rehabilitated wells, drilled NFIs & Winterization: Agencies items, including jerry cans and boreholes, laid pipe networks and across both provinces supported sanitation materials, will need to trucked water to remote locations families during initial assessments be replaced. while conducting hygiene with Non-Food Item kits that

UNHCR Mid

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Year Report Khost & Paktika & Khost

in - Initially, basic

verification of population in the camp the and host in refugee communities undertaken will protection to be outreach as and well strengthen as prepare for assistance established. This has enabled to have communication with a the refugee population to discuss needs, help direct identify line potential determine PSN methods to of cases, increase access to women and get buy on key Group interventions. Discussions conducted Focus were to better understand also the context and needs faced by both host refugees. communities and Registration: registration of population was the undertaken ensure to refugee assistance immediate can be provided, particular targeted in vulnerable. for As stabilizes, the the situation most an enhanced

Agencies operating children is through the schools and educational activities. More attention is needed responding on SGBV, concerns and having networks in to place to respond to needs.core protection Refugee representative groups including for Women’s women Coordination meeting, and which includes a service providers targeting women have been for adolescents and youth. Protection: on the establish ground Persons have with Needs helped Specific (PSN) networks to assess and vulnerable provide refugee women and girls, support men limited resources these and networks to boys. need Given strengthening while main point the of contact to reach up in both provinces, from however focus group and discussions meetings families with refugees, educational activities are needed indicated that -

When refugees When refugees

Safeguarding the settled into Gulan camp, it - beyond. beyond. An estimated 63% the of refugee children. Schools have been set population are Education: right to education is an essential strategy to ensure the protection of children and adolescents the in emergency phase and maintaining host support community accommodation including and adaptation is a priority to prevent secondary services, displacement. community members near camp and the camp population. the While ensuring the entire camp population can have access basic to services is important, was was discovered that there were mines in the mobilizing camp area. clearance resources, By partners cleared entire camp the mine and provided mine risk awareness education to the Mine Mine Clearance: self

UNHCR Mid-Year Report

Khost & Paktika

MOVING FORWARD the refugees in 2016. For those While limited who may be unable or unwilling spontaneous to return, community-based returns are likely programmes with self-reliance to have occurred, activities will be enhanced. either to areas of origin or other In the meantime, interventions will parts of Pakistan, aim to enhance protection the majority of services, empower for livelihoods refugees are still opportunities and to support host observing the communities. Partnerships and development of coordination will be further the situation in strengthened. To date, 25 their places of agencies are engaged in the origin before response. making a decision on return. Agencies are currently beginning to implement cash-for-work projects U N H C R i s and quick impact projects to c u r r e n t l y support communities continue conducting a supporting refugee families while return intentions also building the self-sufficiency survey together of the population. w i t h P o s t Distribution and support voluntary repatriation Monitoring of tents and NFIs to and other durable solutions. determine families’ shelter needs and intention to return. Although CHALLENGES & CONSTRAINTS the study is ongoing, preliminary

UNHCR Mid Despite the extensive assistance results suggest delivered, many organizations that families will engaged in response still face consider security,

challenges in regards to access in the cultivation remote areas and reaching cycle, when they women. Partners are working with can rebuild their provincial authorities and refugee homes, and the elders to expand access, while start of the also identifying operational issues school year in that can be a barrier to the relief determining

- efforts. The population, when to return.

Year Report particularly living with the host families, is dispersed, which can The IDP return make it difficult for humanitarian programme to actors to reach them. North Waziristan is taking place in Competing priorities within the Pakistan. UNHCR

country that demand humanitarian will coordinate Paktika & Khost response and resources including w i t h t h e increased internal displacement Governments of has also put additional pressures on Afghanistan and

agencies responding to the situation. Pakistan on the Funding remains a concern. v o l u n t a r y repatriation programme for SNAPSHOT: MAKING A HOME IN GULAN CAMP

Ujun* fled his home in Spin Wam, North Waziristan Agency, last year with his family including his

brother’s family and their parents following the beginning of military activities in Pakistan. He, along with many other families, came to the self-settled Gulan camp, just 16 km from the border. “We had left all our belongings. We came here with just our shawal camis (shirts).”

Ujun explained his family’s intention to return. “We are eagerly waiting to return, but we need to see the situation on the ground…” In the camp, families are building temporary shelters by constructing walls out of mud bricks to protect from elements in particular in the lead up to winter.

As Ujun’s family was constructing walls around their tents, two families were arriving from Mada Khel. Daud explained that it took them eight hours by truck to reach Gulan camp and they left because “there were heavy bombardments in the area for the last three or four days. ” Samar further elaborated “The situation is not clear” and said that they came to Gulan because they had cousins and other relatives who had fled three to four months ago due to the same military operation.

AGENCIES PARTICIPATING IN THE REFUGEE RESPONSE

 Afghan Planning Agency (APA)  Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS)  CARE International

UNHCR Mid  Coordination of Afghan Relief (CoAR)  Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees (DACAAR)  Halo Trust

Khost & Paktika  Health Net International (HNI-TPO)  International Medical Corps (IMC)  International Organization for Migration (IOM)  International Rescue Committee (IRC),  Johanniter International with ACTD and ASCHIANA  Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) -  Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

Year Report  Organization for Research & Community Development (ORCD)  Oxfam  Solidarités International  The Liaison Office (TLO)  United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)  United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

 United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS)  United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)  World Food Programme (WFP)  World Health Organization (WHO)

Cover photo: Delivering UNHCR winterization assistance in Khost Province, December 2014