UN launches $23 million initiative to support displaced communities in northern Afghanistan

UN launches $23 million initiative to support displaced communities in northern Afghanistan
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The United Nations has launched a $23 million project to support returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and affected communities in Kunduz and Baghlan provinces, northern Afghanistan, Amu TV reported. The initiative, called PAIDAAR (Participatory Action for Integrated Developmental Assistance to Areas of Return), aims to address rising humanitarian needs amid large-scale returns and internal displacement.

PAIDAAR was officially launched on Sunday by Indrika Ratwatte, UN Deputy Special Representative and Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, during a ceremony in Kunduz attended by UN officials, civil society leaders, and community representatives. The project is led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNDP, UN-Habitat, and UNHCR, with funding from the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA), which contributed $15.8 million of the total $23.01 million budget.

Over 24 months, PAIDAAR will operate in 11 communities, focusing on housing, disaster-resilient infrastructure, livelihoods, governance, legal identity, land rights, and mine risk education. The project emphasizes community-led planning through Local Implementation Committees and Community Action Plans to ensure transparency and inclusion.

The initiative aims to foster sustainable reintegration and economic recovery amid ongoing displacement and underinvestment in northern Afghanistan.