Herat, 26 November. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan inaugurated today the commencement of public works for the re-integration of returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Herat, a province of high return. Accessing suitable land and housing for internally displaced persons in Afghanistan is one of the top priorities by the Government of the Islamic Republic. Thousands of families have abandoned their homes escaping from war and the current drought causing a serious humanitarian crisis.

The identification of the first settlement site located in Saadat township (Herat) and the design of affordable housing, is an important development in addressing the current crisis affecting thousands of families. The provision of quality land, housing and security tenure for IDPs and returning refugees is part of SHURA, a government flagship programme funded by Denmark and the European Union. Sustainable Human Settlements in Urban Areas to support Reintegration in Afghanistan (SHURA) is technically supported by UN-Habitat, the leading UN agency for urban development with the assistance of the UN Migration Agency (IoM).
UN-Habitat is assisting the Government through the establishment of a reintegration process through an area-based implementation. The SHURA flagship program is delivering a key outcome of advising and informing the implementation of the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework ‘ensuring a better future for our refugees, returning migrants and internally displaced people’ (ANPDF 2017-2021).

This important achievement follows the adoption of the Presidential Decree on the Allocation of State Land to IDPs and Returning Refugees”, a legal framework that will enhance durable solutions for the affected communities. So far, 1.4 million jeribs of state land are now registered under the bank land by ARAZI, the Land Authority of Afghanistan.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, H.E. the Minister of Refugees and Returnees, Mr. Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi, accompanied by the Governor of Herat; the Deputy Minister of Municipalities, Mr. Abdul Baqi Popal and representatives from the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing and Arazi, stated the importance of “migration is a natural phenomenon for any living person, and therefore an important element of the government planning”. He added that “51% of the Afghan citizens have been displaced either internally as IDPs or out of the country as refugees. The SHURA program is therefore a key assistance to re-unite two parts of the body of the Islamic republic of Afghanistan”.

The Government is committed to immediate and long term solutions laying the ground for a coordinated response under the leadership of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation and the participation of different ministerial and independent bodies, including the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MUDH); the Independent Land Directorate-ARAZI; the Independent Directorate for Local Governance (IDLG) and the Afghanistan High-Level Displacement and Return Executive Committee (DiREC).

Access to land is one of the key issues in the reform agenda of President Ashraf Ghani which is being discussed today and tomorrow in the Geneva Conference on Afghanistan.

For more information, please contact UN-Habitat’s Head of Communications in Afghanistan,

Mr. Koussay Boulaich, Koussay.boulaich@un.org