Counselling offers Afghan women a safe space to share their mental health struggles
Counselling offers Afghan women a safe space to share their mental health struggles
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"We provide a helpdesk for information, or any problems people have. This has also become a place where women come together and help each other."
Maryam, Refugee Returnee
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"Now I can work and can support my family with the income from here, thanks to UNHCR."
Kamila, Host Community Member
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“I dreamt of having a successful business. Now, I want to move forward and continue to expand. My goal is to have 70-100 employees.”
Asifa, Refugee Returnee
Key facts and figures
Afghanistan continues to host an estimated 3.22 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), 1.6 million IDP returnees, some 76,000 refugee returnees who returned in 2023 and over 34,000 refugees, requiring both immediate protection and humanitarian assistance, as well as livelihoods support.
Additionally, the country continues to grapple with multiple humanitarian crises, deteriorating human rights, especially for girls and women, economic instability, and severe climate shocks. In 2024, an estimated 23.7 million people – more than half of Afghanistan’s population – require humanitarian assistance. The political uncertainty in Afghanistan reverberates across the region, demanding sustained attention and humanitarian efforts.
Daughter of UNHCR CARE cash grant beneficiary at Kabul Encashment Centre.
Estimated internally displaced people by conflict in Afghanistan as of 30 June 2023
IDPs are estimated to have returned to their placed of origin in 2021 to 2023
Refugees in Afghanistan as of 15 May 2024
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Herat wool spinning
After living in Iran for several years, Afghan returnee, Mujtaba, has just opened up a wool spinning business in Herat, providing job opportunities to 11 others, most of whom are women. The 41-year-old father-of-two recently received a small business grant from UNHCR, supported by EU International Partnerships, EU in Afghanistan through partner WASSA / Women's Activities & Social Services Association.
