Afghanistan 2002
06/06/2002

Returnees who RI interviewed listed lack of shelter as their biggest concern. In the Shomali plains and Bamyan regions, almost every home has been damaged or destroyed. Many returnees are living in tents inside the shells of their homes. Some returnees have started to rebuild, but many lack the necessary materials and are waiting for NGOs to provide assistance. Shelter reconstruction is a priority among donors, UN agencies, and NGOs. UNHCR is allocating about 60 percent of its reintegration budget to shelter programs, but it has been slow to release funding to its implementing partners. Shelter assistance is not restricted to returnees. Vulnerable non-returnees families will also receive assistance. NGOs are concerned about the lack of coordination in the shelter sector. In some areas, there are no uniform guidelines or standards for houses. Some organizations build multi-room homes and some single-room homes. Some organizations build homes for families and some have the families build their own homes.