Today, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan hosts almost 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees, shouldering a large share of the collective responsibility to protect them. Given the traditional mixed nature of cross-border movements in the region, Pakistan also hosts documented and undocumented Afghans who left their country in search of economic opportunity or access to basic services. The majority of Afghan refugees in Pakistan reside in urban and peri-urban areas, outside of refugee villages and settlements, relying on national public services that are available to them.

Despite its own challenges and the needs of its own population, Pakistan has maintained its commitment to refugees and provided access to its services, notably in areas of education, health care and livelihoods.

This progressive approach is further evident in the inclusion of Afghan refugees in the Government’s national response plans to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring refugees could avail of vaccinations.

The Support Platform aims to galvanize international solidarity with, and assistance for, Pakistan in line with the objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR).

In line with the GCR, the Solutions Strategy (SSAR), the SSAR Support Platform, and the implementation of the SDGs, a Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) for the Afghanistan Situation was launched in 2022 to support host governments in their efforts to promote resilience. It also aims to ensure that no one is left behind and that the needs of Afghans and their host communities can be met.