The voluntary repatriation program has been suspended on 30 November 2017 due to winter break and will resume on 1 March 2018

PAKISTAN: Lahore, UNHCR Pakistan Representative, Ruvendrini Menikdiwela received Shaukat Khanam Memorial Cancer Hospital Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards 2018 in Lahore from Majeeb-ur-Rehman Shami. UNHCR donated USD 6.2 million for radiotherapy machines for SKMCH Peshawar to support free-of-cost treatment to cancer patients, including Afghan refugees.

In line with the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR), and more recently the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), 20 areas have been identified through UNHCR’s protection monitoring and information management activities. The 20 Priority Areas of Return and Reintegration (PARR) have been prioritized based on government planning in the area, including the Citizen’s Charter National Priority Programme, because of the high number of returnees they have absorbed, or because of a range of protection needs the communities may have. In the PARR, 57% of the targeted population are from host communities, many of whom are extremely vulnerable, which helps ensure peaceful co-existence between returnees, IDPs and host communities

Leaders from the Islamic Republics of Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan along with UNHCR and refugee representatives gathered in Geneva to launch a new Support Platform for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) on 16 December on the margins of the inaugural Global Refugee Forum. The platform seeks to i) enhance international solidarity and burden-sharing for the Afghan situation; ii) galvanize additional investments and expand partnerships for coherent humanitarian and development responses; iii) ensure sustained visibility for the Afghan situation.