April 2006

Free of Charge

A Circular for Afghan Refugees from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Frequently Asked Questions

Shelter Assistance
Question: Does UNHCR provide shelter assistance to all Afghans returning to the country following time spent as a refugee? Answer: No, recipients of UNHCRs shelter assistance are only those Afghan returnees that are particularly vulnerable and who would not be able to build a home without help from UNHCR. Question: Who actually decides which people are the recipients of shelter? Answer: In areas where UNHCR assistance is provided, a Beneficiary Selection Committee (BSC) made up of the local shura, authorities from the Directorate of Refugees and Repatriation (DoRR), representatives from UNHCRs implementing partner and UNHCR, has the primary responsibility for identifying eligible recipients for shelter. Question: Do I have to have land in order to receive shelter assistance from UNHCR? Answer: In most cases, yes, you must have land (with proof of ownership), a lease or other legal right to use land, or a no-objection certificate (NOC) from local authorities or communities for public land you may have had a house on in the past without ever owning. Question: Do I have to have a Voluntary Return Form (VRF) from UNHCR to receive shelter? Answer: No, though its usually required, people who return to Afghanistan with no help from UNHCR, were displaced inside the country or never left but need help might also receive shelter. Question: Does UNHCR provide a complete shelter? Answer: No, this is a self-help project meant to ensure a minimum standard of privacy as well as protection from the weather, and therefore it only includes essential construction materials, a small cash grant and technical assistance from UNHCRs partner NGOs. Question: What if I dont have enough money to purchase additional materials or hire labourers to start work on or to complete my shelter? Answer: In certain instances, with UNHCRs approval part of the cash grant can be paid before or during construction, and under exceptional circumstances additional grants may be provided to those who need extra support to complete their shelters. Question: What do I do if Im not physically capable of building my own shelter? Answer: Your BSC should assess the vulnerability of all recipients and the support they may require, after which UNHCRs NGO partner will provide the technical guidance needed to ensure all beneficiaries are able to complete construction of their shelters.

April 2006

Free of Charge

Question: What mechanisms are in place to help ensure that female heads of household get the help they need to build their shelter? Answer: Female heads of household are allowed to have a male relative, neighbour or leader act on their instructions with, for example, the receipt of any documents, the purchasing of materials and the making of arrangements for construction. Question: Is UNHCR assisting people with shelter in all provinces of Afghanistan? Answer: Yes, however its generally provided in areas where refugee returns are the highest, provinces such as Baghlan, Balkh, Ghazni, Herat, Kabul, Kunduz, Kandahar and Nangahar. Question: When does the selection of recipients actually take place? Answer: At various times throughout the year, though generally between April and June. *Contact Information in Afghanistan for Various Agencies Providing Shelter Assistance Afghan Bureau for Reconstruction (ABR), Kabul, Ph: 0093-70291104 Afghan Public Welfare Organization (APWO), Kabul, Ph: 0093-70285738 Afghan Planning Agency (APA), Kabul, Ph: 0093-70285780 Afghan/German Help Coordination Office (AGHCO), Kabul, Ph: 0093-70277766/0093-70224891 Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), Kabul, Ph: 0093-70282539 CARE International, Kabul, Ph: 0093-70281723 Development and Humanitarian Services for Afghanistan (DHSA), Kabul, Ph: 0093-70283386 FOCUS Canada, Kabul, Ph: 0093-70275132/0093-70277061 Ghor Rehabilitation and Construction Organization (GRCO), Herat, Ph: 0093-79354343 Independent Humanitarian Service Association (IHSAN), Kabul, Ph: 0093-70283813 International Rescue Committee (IRC), Kabul, Ph: 0093-70294398/0093-70283945 Japan Emergency NGO (JEN), Kabul, Ph: 0093-70280912/0093-70281552 Javid Rehabilitation Organization for Afghanistan (JROA), Kabul, Ph: 0093 70221723 Norwegian Project Office (NPO), Kabul, Ph: 0093-202501065 Shelter for Life (SFL), Kabul, Ph: 0093-70279778 United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Kabul, Ph: 0093-70224498 UN Habitat, Kabul, Ph: 0093-202101652/0093-70279000 ZOA Refugee Agency, Kabul, Ph: 0093-70282809
*Please note these numbers are for main offices in Afghanistan and are not meant to indicate the only locations where these NGOs work.
For more information, please contact: Barialai Barakzai at 0093-70283028, e-mail: barakzai@unhcr.org