Pakistan

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 NWFP, 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