The United Nations has launched a major new initiative to support return refugees and communities impacted by displacement in Afghanistan’s Kunduz and Baghlan provinces.

The project aims to improve the lives of returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host communities through infrastructure development, livelihood support, and community-led planning.

The $23.01 million initiative is being implemented jointly by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN-Habitat, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with funding from the UN Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA) and additional contributions from the implementing agencies.

Indrika Ratwatte, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan and the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, formally launched the project during a ceremony attended by UN agency representatives, civil society organizations, and community leaders.

“This joint initiative is essential for ensuring the sustainable reintegration of returnees and meeting the recovery needs of people across the country,” said Ratwatte. “Led by the United Nations and its partners, it is designed to bring real, lasting improvements to the lives of returnees and the communities that welcome them.”

The project will be rolled out over 24 months in 11 communities across Kunduz and Baghlan and will focus on housing reconstruction, access to basic services, disaster-resilient infrastructure, and economic resilience, while also promoting social cohesion through participatory governance.

“We are grateful for introducing durable solutions that will change lives,” said Habibullah Khan, a project beneficiary from Kunduz.

In addition to infrastructure and economic support, the project will address protection issues by offering mine risk education, legal aid on housing, land, and property (HLP) rights, and identity documentation services.

The initiative comes at a critical time, as hundreds of thousands of Afghan returnees, particularly from Pakistan and Iran, continue to place mounting pressure on already strained host communities across northern Afghanistan. The region is also grappling with internal displacement due to conflict, natural disasters, and economic hardship.

“Returnees bring valuable skills, experiences, and networks that can contribute significantly to rebuilding the economy,” Ratwatte noted.

“By supporting housing construction, job creation, and long-term employment opportunities, the project fosters reintegration that enables returnees to become drivers of positive change in their communities.”