Beekeeping by Afghan refugees helps boost Pakistan’s honey business
High in Pakistan’s rolling hills, a mountain valley is a refuge not only for bees, but also refugees from Afghanistan. By Qaiser Khan Afridi and Aoife McDonnell in Buner, Pakistan Dressed in a protective suit and a mesh head-net, Nazak Mir approaches a hive box and...
Amid harsh winter and flooding, UNHCR provides emergency supplies to hundreds of people in Balochistan
QUETTA: As temperatures plummeted – blanketing part of Balochistan province with snow, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency delivered emergency supplies to hundreds of people affected by the unprecedented weather this month. After conducting a rapid assessment to identify...
Pakistan concludes ‘drive’ to issue smartcards to registered Afghan refugees
04 January 2022 UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, commends the Government of Pakistan for its country-wide campaign to verify and update the data of some 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees and to issue them with smart identity cards. Following a short pilot, the...
Amid COVID disruptions, Afghan refugee women are stepping forward into business
In Pakistan, enterprising Afghan refugee women are stepping forward to support their families, learn skills and run small businesses. By Zikrea Saleah in Peshawar, Pakistan When the COVID-19 pandemic started impacting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people,...
Afghan refugee doctor dares women and girls to dream
Doctor Saleema Rehman is the regional winner for Asia for UNHCR’s annual Nansen Refugee Award for her dedication to promoting girls’ education in her community and for her contribution to Pakistan’s COVID-19 response. By Marie-Claude Poirier in Attock, Pakistan Two...
A test of speed, strength, skill and horsemanship
Haji Gada Muhammed, an Afghan refugee elder in Pakistan, explains the allure of the traditional sport of buzkashi and expresses his hopes for young refugees By Humera Karim in Quetta, Pakistan | 06 August 2021 Haji Gada Muhammed sits on a cushion in a splendid white...
Skills training builds futures for refugees and Pakistanis alike
In Quetta, Pakistan, Nida and her fellow trainees are gaining vocational skills, equipping them to take advantage of new livelihoods opportunities. For Nida, a chance to take a beautician’s course is making a difference in her life and giving her the means to be...
UNHCR’s renewable energy project helps solve refugees’ problems
Eco-friendly solar-powered water systems make a big difference in lives of refugees Feature story Dalbandin, Chaghi District, Balochistan – 4 June 2021: Drawing water from a deep, open well and carrying heavy loads in jerrycans was hard work for 12-year-old refugee...
Breaking barriers, a young refugee woman fulfils her medical career dream
Breaking barriers, a young refugee woman fulfils her medical career dream By Humera Karim in Quetta, Pakistan Taking risks to pursue her dream, Marzila, a 21-year-old Afghan refugee and medical worker in Pakistan, has convinced her family and community to accept the...