Shelter Assistance for Returnees in Afghanistan April 2015 A shelter beneficiary finishing up construction on his shelter, Eid Mahala, Balkh Province Prepared by USA for UNHCR 1775 K Street NW, Suite 290 Washington, DC 20006 Tel: 202.296.1115 www.unrefugees.org
Background In 2014, The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, with help from its supporters, provided a total of $139,730 to the United Nations Refugee Agency to provide shelter to Afghan families returning home after years of displacement. In 2014, the average cost of a two-room shelter was $2,320. With these funds, UNHCR supported the construction of 56 two-room shelters benefiting 336 Afghan returnees in their homeland. 1 Since the fall of the Taliban in 2002, some 4 million Afghans have voluntarily returned home with the help of the UN Refugee Agency. The rate of return over that time has varied by year. For example, in 2008 some 280,000 people returned; in 2009 the number was just under 55,000, in 2010 around 113,000 returned and in 2011 some 68,000 Afghans returned home. Table 1 shows the number of returns from 2002 to 2014. In 2014, 16,995 Afghans returned home. 2014 was a key transition year for Afghanistan with a lengthy election process (2 rounds of elections and a re-count), prolonged political uncertainty (it took over 3 months to establish the cabinet) and withdrawal of international security forces. At the same time the Proof of Registration Cards for Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan had been extended until December 2015. This all contributed to a rate of return was quite low in 2014. The rate of return is expected to increase in 2015 for a number or reasons including greater political stability following the installation of the new National Unity Government. As of February 2015, 7,027 people returned with UNHCR assistance, which represents a substantial increase compared to 965 during the same period in 2014. Year From Pakistan From Iran Other Countries Total 2002 1,565,066 259,792 9,679 1,834,537 2003 332,183 142,280 1,176 475,639 2004 383,321 377,151 650 761,122 2005 449,391 63,559 1,140 514,090 2006 133,338 5,264 1,202 139,804 2007 357,635 7,054 721 365,410 2008 274,200 3,656 628 278,484 2009 48,320 6,028 204 54,552 2010 104,331 8,487 150 112,968 2011 48,998 18,851 113 67,962 2012 79,435 15,035 86 94,556 2013 30,388 8,247 131 38,766 2014 12,257 4,512 226 16,995 Total 3,818,863 919,916 16,106 4,754,885 Table 1: Voluntary Repatriation 2002 2014 1 In addition to contributing $129,949 toward shelters, The Khaled Hosseini Foundation provided $9,781 in 2014 toward UNHCR s standard overhead costs of 7%. Thus the total 2014 contribution was $139,730. 2
Shelter Construction Returns to Afghanistan have been affected by a number of factors, including insecurity in Afghanistan, policies in the countries of asylum, a lack of land and shelter, and limited access to basic services such as water, education, health and livelihood opportunities. Today, approximately 2.7 million refugees remain outside the country almost 1.5 million in Pakistan and over 840,000 in Iran. Worldwide, Afghan refugees remain the largest protracted refugee community having been the largest refugee population for more than three decades. However in 2014, Afghan refugees became the second largest refugee population following Syrian refugees. UNHCR continues to work with the Afghan government and other partners to maintain a pathway for voluntary repatriation and to support sustainable reintegration for those who have returned, specifically in the areas of high refugee returns. The majority of the remaining registered Afghan populations in Pakistan and Iran have been in exile for more than quarter of a century; half of them were born outside their country and many have never been to Afghanistan. Over time they have lost their network and vital linkages to their place of origin. Furthermore, a large number among this population is now used to living in urban or semi-urban situations and has no land or house in Afghanistan. Many Afghans who do have land and/or houses are no longer able, after years abroad, to find work or to provide accommodations for all the members of their vastly increased family size. In 2014, all of these factors contributed to a high percentage of returning Afghans living with family or renting accommodations on their repatriation. Between 2002 and 2014, UNHCR has provided support for the construction of over 225,482 shelters benefiting over 1,352,892 vulnerable Afghans. Shelter Package In 2014, UNHCR provided 3,890 two-room shelters to beneficiaries. The 3,890 shelter units targeted the most vulnerable Afghan families and were constructed in eight regions of the country as follows: in the north and northeast 1,349 shelters were built, in the south 200, southeast 300, east 1,023, west 468, central 512 and central highlands 38. In the beneficiary selection process, priority was given to areas of the country showing the largest number of Afghan returns and to the most vulnerable returnees. Beneficiaries included 75 percent UNHCR-assisted vulnerable returnee families, 20 percent conflict-induced IDPs, 3.5 percent vulnerable returnee internally displaced persons (IDPs), and the remaining 1.5 percent were vulnerable individuals from the local population. The UN Refugee Agency does not itself build the homes for returnees, but rather supports them by providing a shelter package that includes essential construction materials such as tools, roofing beams, doors and windows, and by supervising them to achieve a minimum standard of quality. In 2011, UNHCR implemented a revised package tailored to the needs of beneficiaries and suited to regional specifications. The standard shelter design is based on a mud house structure with minimum of 32 square meters of floor area. The typical shelter design consists of two rooms, a corridor, and an external latrine. With the help of the community, the returnees make the sun-dried mud bricks and build their own houses. Partner agencies provide technical assistance as well as additional construction materials. The shelter package also includes small cash grants, intended to compensate for reduced wage earning opportunities during the construction period and to offset material and labor expenses. Additional cash support is also 3
granted on a case-by-case basis for the most vulnerable returnees requiring additional labor support for construction. At this stage of shelter planning, there is the plan to implement approximately 1,000 shelter units due to the limited budget for 2015. UNHCR CO is planning to pilot a cash-for-shelter approach in one site per region. Additionally, 2015 will be a year to determine which approach can best obtain the beneficiary satisfaction and see the efficiency of both approaches. Beneficiary Selection The UN Refugee Agency s Shelter Assistance Program gives priorities to vulnerable returnee families that possess land or are allowed to use land, but lack the financial means to build a home. These include families headed by a female, elderly or disabled person, very large families and families that are not able to construct their home alone. The program targets areas that show a high population of returns of both former refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). The UN Refugee Agency is careful to gauge community access to water, security, accessibility to land, among other factors when selecting beneficiaries. The success of the shelter program depends heavily on the fairness of the beneficiary selection process. Therefore, the UN Refugee Agency uses a community-based approach, vesting community members with primary responsibility to identify beneficiaries. Beneficiary Selection Committees are established, comprising the village shura (the council of the village elders), representatives from the local government and from UNHCR and its implementing partners. Women are involved in the selection and implementation process to the maximum extent possible given the cultural limitations. This ensures direct dialogue with female beneficiaries and the identification of eligible families that might not otherwise come to the attention of the committee. A father and son in front of their shelter, Yamaq Tonoka, Jawzjan Province 4
Beneficiary Stories 1) Sakhi (29) has a young family of two children, his wife Noor, and his elderly mother Shah Bibi who live with him in the house he built in Kahdistan, Herat, through UNHCR s shelter program. A home owner for the first time, he is proud of what he has achieved. We now have a nice house. Earlier, in the rainy season, we had a lot of problems with the damp and cold. We don t anymore, he says. Originally from Faryab province in western Afghanistan, they were refugees in Pakistan for 12 years. We left because of the fighting between Dostum and the Taliban. It took us more than 15 days to cross the border, he says. They lived in Quetta in a rented house and he worked as a daily wage labourer. The family returned to Afghanistan three years ago. They couldn t go back to Faryab because of continued insecurity. All of Afghanistan is our home, he says. When the Taliban left Afghanistan, Afghan refugees began to leave Pakistan. Our relatives are in Herat, so we came here. We lived in mud rooms in the beginning, before UNHCR helped us last year to build a proper home. His wife, Noor Bibi, joins in the conversation. Compared to what we had just mud house with no doors and windows now we have a proper house with more space, doors and windows that we can shut to keep us warm during the harsh winter. Sakhi was selected for the shelter assistance program and was given material, including beams, doors, window frames to build a home for the family. They moved in before the winter and are thankful to UNHCR for providing a roof over their heads. By Zahra Mirazar, in Herat. June, 2014 5
2) Abdul Hakim, (39) looks around the room, feeling content. His wife, Latifa (43) and their seven children sit in a temporary mud house he built, but they are looking forward to moving into their proper home, built with through UNHCR s shelter assistance program within two weeks. I am very happy with the new home. We slowed down a bit during Ramadan, but now the roofing should be done soon. It will be a safe and strong house, built with high quality material including beams, doors and windows that will keep protect my children from the harsh cold winter and hot summer sun, he says. The family are in Noorabad, a reintegration site in Jawsjan about 80 km away from the city of Mazar e Sharif. His current home, he adds is not really safe. It has no foundation; the roof is mud and could collapse with heavy snow or during an earthquake. I have a problem working with my hands, he adds. But, I built our home to protect our children myself. Abdul Hakim is proud that he can provide a safe shelter for his family and is grateful to UNHCR for providing good quality material and guidance. The plan for the house was shared with the family, the timeline for construction explained. The family were refugees in Iran for two years, in the city of Bam. They left during the Taliban years in 1999. In addition to insecurity, the drought and the lack of work were other factors. Iran is not my country, and I decided to return once President Karzai came to power. I had heard that the situation had improved and I wanted to return. Now that we are back, we will not move again, he adds. Though there are challenges in the reintegration site in Noorabad. Water is a problem and there are no schools, he points out. The family came back to Mazar-e-Sharif in 2002, and lived there for nine years. He was assisted by UNHCR when he returned with a cash grant and some basic assistance. The first few years were difficult but he managed as a daily wage labourer and with help from relatives to tide over desperate days. With time, he was able to rent a one room home in Mazar. Three years ago, he heard about Noorabad where the government was distributing land to returnees. He is originally from Jawzjan and wanted to return to his roots. He applied for a plot of land and was lucky to be allotted one. I put my tent up here three years ago and I said to myself, one day I will build my own house. I am so grateful to you for helping me realize this dream, he adds. UNHCR deeply appreciates the support of its donors that makes it possible to help vulnerable families like Abdul Hakim to own a home, to settle down and re -establish themselves and their lives in Afghanistan. (August, 2014) 6
How You Can Help In 2015, $2,320 2 covers the cost of one shelter for a family of six. For 2015, the UN Refugee Agency is striving to build shelters for 1000 families 6,000 individuals. Together with The Khaled Hosseini Foundation we can make this a reality. You can help by sending your donation to: The Khaled Hosseini Foundation 4848 San Felipe Road, #150-221 San Jose, CA 95135 Phone: 408-904-7175 info@khaledhosseinifoundation.org Total Support to Date Year Donation Amount Total Shelters Total Individuals Served 2008 $100,000 71 426 2009 $145,722 102 612 2010 $122,875 80 480 2011 $178,173 106 636 2012 $110,324 55 330 2013 $117,238 52 312 2014 $139,730 56 336 Total $914,062 522 3,132 * Donation amounts cover the cost of shelters constructed as well as a central administration overhead fee up to 7%. 2 Figure based on current costs, which are subject to change over the course of the year. 7