Publishing date: 20 August 2021 | Author: UNHCR Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP). 1 Source OCHA, as of 15 August: https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/afghanistan/idps 2 Includes the number of newly arrived Afghans who approached UNHCR and Partners in Tajikistan (4,746) and Iran (800), as well as the Afghans currently hosted by the Iranian authorities at border locations (1,760) since 1 January 2021. The overall number of Afghans with international refugee protection needs is likely to be much higher

HIGHLIGHTS While the implications of recent political developments on the Afghan people and

humanitarian community are not yet clear, UNHCR echoes the UN Secretary-General’s calls for protection of all civilians and unimpeded humanitarian access. Urgent humanitarian support is also needed to address the increasing human suffering.

UNHCR – as part of the UN country team – remains committed to delivering protection and assistance to the Afghan people for as long as our staff are safe. The security of our staff remains a priority and UNHCR has put measures in place to ensure this.

UNHCR currently has some 200 staff in Afghanistan, working together with 18 partners consisting of some 900 staff through the country. While the security situation remains fluid, UNHCR and partners currently have access to all provinces and are operating in some two-thirds of all districts in the country. UNHCR has established contingencies to work through partners and remote arrangements should we be unable to reach locations of those in need.

In recent days in Kabul, UNHCR teams have been reviewing makeshift shelter arrangements for IDPs, including with a view to providing cash assistance, as well as providing support to a temporary health clinic and mobile health teams for IDPs, among other essential activities. UNHCR also continues its protection monitoring, which cover nearly all provinces in the country.

UNHCR has this year now provided food, shelter, cash, hygiene and sanitary kits and other lifesaving assistance, together with partners, to more than 230,000 people.

In recent days, UNHCR has been doing its utmost to respond to significant numbers of inquiries to our offices, either from people within Afghanistan or their relatives and friends. UNHCR Afghanistan’s Help page for refugees and asylum seekers has been launched in response. UNHCR has, or is in the process of, also setting up HELP sites for other countries affected and these will be on the global HELP Platform, once available.

UNHCR’s Supplementary appeal for the Afghanistan situation has been released and highlights nearly US$63 million as urgent needs to support the response for internally displaced people in the country, as well as preparedness in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. These requirements are part of the US$351 million requirements for UNHCR’s response to the Afghanistan situation in 2021, which is currently underfunded at some 43 per cent.

DISPLACEMENT TRENDS Some 550,000 Afghans have now been internally displaced this year, 80 percent of whom are women and children Some 120,000

Afghans have fled from rural areas and provincial towns to Kabul province. In recent days, indications suggest that some IDPs from Kabul have started to return to their places of origin, including to the northern region. Some IDPs residing in informal settlements in Kandahar have also reportedly begun returning. Precise figures are not currently available.

UNHCR continues to closely monitor the situation at the borders of countries neighboring Afghanistan, calling on authorities to keep border crossings open for those who may need to seek safety. UNHCR is urgently working to further strengthen information collection on new arrivals at border areas, particularly considering recent developments.

Most Afghans are not currently able to leave the country through regular channels and UNHCR has not yet observed large-scale movements of refugees across land borders to any of the countries neighbouring Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s land border points with Iran and Pakistan have only been open on a sporadic basis. When open, this has largely been for commercial and trade purposes. In recent days, regular levels of movements for crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan have, however, been observed, though these movements have not been considered higher-than-normal levels. UNHCR has also observed some Afghans returning to Afghanistan in recent days, albeit in limited numbers.

UNHCR continues to work with authorities in some of the countries neighboring Afghanistan to plan and prepare for potential future movements of Afghan refugees. UNHCR is continuing to preposition essential stocks and items for potential movements, including tents and other core-relief items.

7,306 Estimated newly arrived Afghan refugees who approached UNHCR and Partners in neighboring countries since 1 January 20212

TIMELINE IN KEY EVENTS

2.2M Refugees and asylum-seekers from Afghanistan in neighboring countries as of 31 December 2020

31 May More than 200,000 IDPs induced by conflict, recorded since January 2021

UNHCR REGIONAL BUREAU FOR ASIA AND PACIFIC (RBAP) FLASH EXTERNAL UPDATE: AFGHANISTAN SITUATION #3

As of 20 August 2021

KEY DISPLACEMENT FIGURES

72,375 Refugees and asylum-seekers in Afghanistan as of 16 August 2021

2.9M Estimated internally displaced persons within Afghanistan as of 31 December 2020

550,780 Estimated total conflict induced internal displacement within Afghanistan since 1 January 20211

15 July UNHCR provides support to more than 100,000 IDPs in 2021

14 July UNAMA

increasingly concerned of

abuses and violations alleged

in Afghanistan

6 August Some 200 refugees cross from Nimruz province, Afghanistan, into Iran

6 July International

troop withdrawal largely complete

15 July UN warns of

Afghan funding shortfall and

deepening humanitarian

crisis

9 August Conflict induced

IDPs cross 500,000 this year

in Afghanistan

13 August UNHCR warns Afghanistan’s conflict taking the heaviest toll on displaced women and children

16 August UNHCR releases

position on returns to

Afghanistan

13 July UNHCR warns of a imminent humanitarian crisis

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A F G H A N I S T A N

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2,888,600

780,0002

1,448,1001

6,000

4,746

158,514 54,369

66,771

43,701

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107,021 36,388

2,5603

Legend

UNHCR Country Office

!A UNHCR Sub-Office

!! UNHCR Field Office/Unit

International boundaries

Admin 1 State/Province boundaries

Official Crossing point

PARRs - Priority Areas for Returnand ReintegrationEncashment Centre Proof of RegistrationCard Modification Centre

Voluntary Repatriation CentreTransit/Reception Centre

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x,xxx Estimated internal displacement within Afghanistansince 1 January 2021, who remain displaced

Registered refugees and asylum-seekers fromAfghanistan in neighbouring countriesas of 31 December 2020

xx,xxx

Estimated number of IDPs within Afghanistan as of 31 December 2020xx,xxx

Estimated newly arrived Afghan refugeeswho have approached UNHCR and Partners inneighboring countries since 1 January 2021

x,xxx

Provisional Site

Estimated number of irregular arrivals of Afghansinto Iran reported by the authorities, which is up tothree times the previously estimated daily average

x,xxx1 Registered Afghan refugees PoR card holders.

2 Registered Afghan refugees Amayesh card holders.

PAKISTAN

ISLAMICREPUBLICOF IRAN

Jalq

Kuhak/Chadgi

BalochistanSistan andBaluchestan

3 Includes the number of Afghans who recently approached

UNHCR since the end of June, as well as the Afghans currently being hosted by the Iranian authorities at border locations.

UNHCR REGIONAL BUREAU FOR ASIA AND PACIFIC (RBAP)AFGHANISTAN EMERGENCY - REGIONAL OVERVIEW MAP

as of 20 August 2021

Data sources: UNHCR operations, OCHA | Author: UNHCR Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP) For feedback and clarifications, please write to UNHCR RBAP at < rbapdima@unhcr.org >

Arrows do not reflect the routes but only indicate outflow movement.The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties.

4,000~5,000

per day