7. U.S. Support for Afghan Refugees: Targeted Programs and Accomplishments

Repatriation and resettlement of refugees are important aspects of life for Afghanistan’s people where—as a direct result of U.S. and international support and Afghans’ own efforts—progress has actually exceeded expectations. The conventional wisdom was that the recent conflict would set in motion a substantial flow of refugees out of Afghanistan. In fact, precisely the reverse has occurred: a large-scale return of refugees to Afghanistan has already begun.

In just the first two months of voluntary repatriation programs after the fall of the Taliban, according to the UN High Commissioner on Refugees, over 350,000 refugees—approximately 10 percent of the estimated total in neighboring states—were successfully returned home under those auspices. This includes 140,000 Afghan refugees who were repatriated from Pakistan in March 2002 alone. By May 16, 2002, the overall number of these voluntary repatriations had climbed to 616,000—of which 550,000 were from Pakistan, 44,000 from Iran, and the remainder mostly from the neighboring Central Asian states (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan). By mid-June the overall number was fast approaching the million mark.

From October 1, 2001 through April 2, 2002, the Department of State spent $94.1 million for Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), in Afghanistan itself, Pakistan, and elsewhere. These funds were expended to build NGO capacity, support female education, offer drought relief, supply health care (including maternal health care), and provide nutrition, water and sanitation, mine awareness, civic programs, and teacher training. The United States pledged at the Tokyo Donors’ Conference an additional $52 million to facilitate the repatriation and reintegration of refugees and IDPs. Many of the kinds of projects listed above, which until now have been undertaken primarily in refugee camps in Pakistan, will henceforth be adjusted as the emphasis shifts toward the needs of returnees inside Afghanistan.

At the same time, given the best realistic estimates of the sustainable flow of what should be entirely voluntary repatriation, we foresee a continuing need to maintain programs and services for the refugees remaining outside Afghanistan’s boundaries for the time being. Some modest new programs tailored to today’s circumstances are also in the planning stages. One example is a small grant for trauma training and counseling for Afghan refugees. This program will focus on training local counselors for victims of war and terrorism in the Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan.

Primary responsibility for managing this dimension of U.S. efforts on behalf of the Afghan people rests with the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). The Bureau’s major partners in this effort are the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other UN agencies. PRM also provides funding to NGOs, including Mercy Corps International and the International Catholic Migration Commission, to fill critical protection and assistance gaps for refugees in Afghanistan and surrounding countries.