Islamabad (Khyber Mail): In an important milestone towards addressing the challenges faced by urban Afghan refugees in Pakistan, the Urban Refugees Needs Assessment Study was launched in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The assessment, conducted through the collaborative efforts between the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Institute of Management Sciences – Center for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Peshawar and GIZ Pakistan provides an evidence base for the response to the needs of urban Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The study provides evidence to support the newly established Urban Refugees Support Units (URSUs) for better provision of services to urban Afghan refugees in five key areas of education, health, livelihood, protection, and repatriation.
The launch event was attended by the First Secretary of German Embassy Ms. Dorota Berezick, Secretary SAFRON, Mr. Pervaiz Ahmed Junejo; Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Mr. Muhammad Abbas Khan; Country Director GIZ Pakistan Mr. Tobias Becker; and representatives of the Afghan refugee community.
The Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugee urged the policymakers, civil society actors, and local and international partners to use the insights from this report as a catalyst for positive change. “Together, we can transform the challenges faced by urban refugees into opportunities for a brighter, more inclusive future,” he added.
Mr. Zafar Habib, the Project lead from IMSciences and Dr. Zafar Zaheer presented the detailed report. The report was lauded by all stakeholders and termed as a guiding document for better serving host and refugee communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The project Strengthening education and health services for refugees and host communities in Pakistan (EHS), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, supports the Government of Pakistan in improving access to public services in the health and education sectors for Afghan refugees and vulnerable host communities in selected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
