Surviving in Exile: Health, Education & Livelihoods for Afghan Refugees in Pakistan
Introduction: Beyond Shelter — The Right to a Decent Life
Being a refugee is not just about crossing a border — it’s about rebuilding a life from scratch.
For millions of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, survival depends on more than shelter. They need schools for their children, clinics for their families, and jobs to live with dignity. That’s why UNHCR’s support extends far beyond registration — it touches nearly every aspect of daily life.
Together with the Government of Pakistan and humanitarian partners, UNHCR provides essential services in refugee villages and urban areas, ensuring that refugees are not forgotten — even decades after displacement.
📍 Where Refugees Live: Rural Villages and Urban Settlements
- Pakistan hosts approximately 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees, plus hundreds of thousands who are undocumented.
- About 35% live in 54 officially recognized “Refugee Villages” — mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
- The majority — around 65% — live in urban centers like Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
UNHCR’s services target both rural and urban communities, with a growing focus on inclusion in public systems.
🏥 1. Healthcare: From Camps to Clinics
UNHCR helps provide basic health services in refugee-hosting areas, either directly or by strengthening public health infrastructure.
Services include:
- Maternal and child health clinics inside refugee villages
- Mobile health units in remote or underserved areas
- Vaccination drives (including for polio, measles, COVID-19)
- Access to mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS)
- Emergency medical referrals and support for surgeries or chronic conditions
UNHCR also partners with the Ministry of Health to improve access for Afghan refugees in public hospitals.
“They saved my son’s life when he had pneumonia. We had nowhere else to go.”
— Samira, Afghan refugee, Balochistan
📚 2. Education: Keeping Hope Alive for the Next Generation
Access to education is a major challenge, especially for urban refugee children.
UNHCR’s interventions include:
- Supporting primary schools in refugee villages with books, uniforms, and trained teachers
- Funding secondary school scholarships, especially for girls
- Supporting Accelerated Learning Programs (ALPs) for out-of-school youth
- Advocating with the government to allow Afghan children to enroll in public schools
- Collaborating with partners to provide non-formal education and life skills training
In some areas, UNHCR also assists with school construction, sanitation, and solar power.
“Education is the only passport our children have to the future.”
— Afghan community leader, Haripur Refugee Village
💼 3. Livelihoods: From Dependency to Self-Reliance
Despite legal restrictions on formal employment, Afghan refugees in Pakistan are active in:
- Informal labor (construction, tailoring, shopkeeping)
- Agriculture and livestock in rural areas
- Home-based businesses and traditional crafts
- UNHCR supports:
- Vocational training centers (carpentry, plumbing, IT, sewing)
- Cash grants for small businesses
- Skills certification programs for refugee youth
- Linkages with microfinance institutions in partnership with NGOs
These programs empower refugees to support themselves and contribute to host communities.
🧼 Crosscutting Services: Water, Sanitation, and Shelter
UNHCR also ensures that refugee communities have:
- Safe drinking water sources (hand pumps, filtration)
- Toilets and hygiene promotion programs
- Improved housing and roofing support
- Solar energy in remote areas for lighting and fans
These services are critical in refugee villages affected by extreme weather, floods, and heatwaves.
🤝 Working with Host Communities
To reduce tension and promote harmony, UNHCR also:
- Supports joint health and education projects that benefit both refugees and local Pakistanis
- Runs community development initiatives (roads, bridges, markets) in host areas
- Provides legal aid and dispute resolution training to prevent conflict
This approach fosters coexistence and mutual respect in communities under pressure.
📊 Snapshot of Impact (2020–2024)
- 370,000+ health consultations provided annually in refugee-hosting areas
- Over 25,000 children enrolled in UNHCR-supported schools
- 6,000+ refugees trained in vocational skills programs
- 50+ refugee villages and urban centers receiving WASH and shelter support
⚠️ Challenges Ahead
- Funding shortfalls threaten basic service continuity
- Urban refugees often lack legal access to public schools and hospitals
- Refugee women face cultural and economic barriers to jobs and education
- Climate shocks (e.g., 2022 floods) disrupt infrastructure and increase disease risk
🧾 Final Thoughts: Not Just Surviving — Living with Dignity
UNHCR’s mission in Pakistan goes far beyond handing out aid — it’s about restoring dignity, building resilience, and investing in people.
With sustained support, refugees in Pakistan can move from dependency to contribution — not just as beneficiaries, but as workers, students, entrepreneurs, and neighbors.
“Being a refugee doesn’t mean being helpless. We just need the tools to rebuild.”
— Afghan youth, Quetta
