Background
The aim of the Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas programme (RAHA) is to promote regional stability and compensate for the social, economic and environmental consequences wrought on Pakistani communities by the presence of more than 3 million Afghans over the past 30 years. For the 1.7 million registered Afghans remaining in Pakistan after the large-scale repatriation since 2002, the programme will promote peaceful co-existence with local communities until conditions in Afghanistan are conducive for their return. The programme adopts a bottom-up participatory approach based on community development and social cohesion. Civil society organizations and NGOs will facilitate social mobilization and strengthen the capacities of communities to plan, implement and manage their resources. Small to medium scale community infrastructure projects will be undertaken targeting the identified community needs. Line government departments, primarily at the district and sub-district levels, will provide a range of support services. Employment and income generating activities will form part of the agricultural and environmental rehabilitation programmes, with emphasis on the special needs of vulnerable groups, especially women. The programme will be implemented in 30 districts, most of them in Balochistan and KPK, and six urban areas. As its ultimate impact, it will ensure a predictable, safe stay, with documentation, for Afghans in Pakistan, and substantially improve the standard of living of over 1 million Pakistanis who have, or who are still, hosting Afghans. Crucially, it will strengthen the Pakistan Government’s governance and public service delivery. The total cost of the programme over five years is USD 140 million. Objectives
Refugee Affected Areas initiative contributes to a transition from purely humanitarian to more development oriented interventions aimed at the environmental rehabilitation and socio-economic development of selected areas and communities impacted by the presence of Afghans. The specific objectives include: Greater social cohesion through community development Improved livelihoods and local economies Restoration of social services and infrastructure Improved social protection for co-existing Pakistani and Afghan communities Restoration and improvement of the environment
Key Achievements Key Results
The interventions under RAHA are leading to stronger social cohesion and co-existence among the two population’s i.e. local Pakistani communities and the refugees.
Through effective social mobilization the programme has formed 641 (256 males 385 females) Community Organisations (COs) in target districts.
1,053 (670 males; 383 females) community members have been trained on: concepts of development process; fundamentals of conflict resolution; community and leadership management skills; need resolutions: CO formation; and orientation to bank account opening and record keeping.
394 (211 for females; 183 for males) food packages have been distributed amongst flood affected families of UC Maira Akora Khattak and UC Dag Besud of District Nowshera. 4 medical camps were established in the flood affected union councils of Peshawar and Nowshera.
7 Provincial Task Force meetings and 45 District Coordination Committee meetings have been held to strengthen coordination mechanisms, steer the programme and provide oversight.
527 Government officials (467 Males; 60 Females) have been trained on project cycle management, conflict resolution, effective communication, disaster risk reduction, and gender mainstreaming.
1083 (450 Males; 633 Females) community members have been trained in various market based skills.
36 projects of farm to market and village roads have been constructed during the reporting period. 118.24 kilometers of black topped roads have also been constructed.
Participatory resource constraint analysis has been conducted with 286 community organizations and 286 community physical infrastructures have been implemented by the communities.
21 clean drinking water supply projects have been implemented during the year. An additional 19 projects sanitation projects have been implemented under the programme.
52 health and hygiene sessions have been held for communities to reduce the risk of water borne diseases in the area and 1509 (648 M, 341 F & 520 children) people have been trained.
35 Public Health Engineering Department officials (PHED) has been trained to test the water quality in collaboration with Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR). Water quality testing kits have also been given to the trainees.
394 (211 to females & 183 to males) food packages were distributed amongst 2838 (1390 F & 1448 M) people in flood affected areas of Nowshera. Four free medical camps were also established in Peshawar and Nowshera. So far, 21,000 patients have been treated for diarrhea, typhoid, skin and water borne diseases. These camps are also equipped with labor rooms which have successfully seen 12 births.
36 trainings were organized in: Community Management Skills/Leadership Management Skills; Parent Teacher Councils Sessions; Health Management; Community Led Sanitation; Community Organization; Enterprise Development; Beauty Services; and Auto cad. The total number of trainees to date is 32,313.
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