Afghanistan hosts a protracted population of Pakistani refugees, who fled North Waziristan Agency in 2014 as a result of a joint military offensive by Pakistani government forces against non-state armed groups. As of May 2017, UNHCR has biometrically registered over 50,000 refugees in Khost province and 36,000 refugees in Paktika province, where access remains a challenge. Over 16,000 of these refugees receive shelter and essential services in the Gulan camp in Khost province, while most of the others live among the host population in various urban and rural locations.
To better understand the needs of the refugees and the host communities, UNHCR and WFP agreed to conduct a joint assessment of Pakistani refugees in Khost and Paktika. The data collection commenced in May 2017 and covered 2,638 refugee households (2,198 in Khost and 440 in Paktika).