Emergency Response to the Afghan returnees
Torkham Response:
According to latest estimates, as of 25 November, over 413,700 returnees have crossed back into Afghanistan in the past two months through Torkham and Spin Boldak. Save the Children's emergency response in Afghanistan is addressing the urgent needs of returning Afghan refugees. With the increasing number of returnees and the approaching winter season, our initiatives are crucial in providing essential services and support to those in need.
We deployed four mobile health and nutrition teams at the crossing point in Torkham with male and female physicians, midwives, nutrition nurses, and an ambulance to ensure that the returnees have access to essential healthcare services. Mental health and psychosocial support counselors provide services to families. Also, the family tracing and reunification services to begin soon to provide much-needed support to the returnees who may be experiencing trauma or other psychological challenges because of their displacement.
In addition, we constructed ten gender-segregated latrines with septic tanks to minimize open defecation, along with drinking and handwashing stations. Save the Children is supplying 20 water tankers with a capacity of 1,000 liters, providing 40,000 liters of drinking water per day to the returnees crossing Torkham. So far, 57,322 individuals have received clean drinking water with the help of a water truck. The families face the challenges of resettlement and the harsh winter conditions. A shelter or woman-waiting area has been constructed in Torkham, including a Help Desk, a playground for children, and three Child-Friendly Spaces (CFSs). Furthermore, we plan to provide multi-purpose cash assistance to returnees to support them with their most urgent basic needs as they face the upcoming winter.
Spin BoldakResponse:
Save the Children has also extended its efforts to address the needs of Afghan returnees in Spin Boldak, Rahmat Meena, and Takhtapol and providing essential services.Our services include outpatient consultations, vaccinations for children and women, antenatal and postnatal care, malnutrition treatment, and psychosocial support. We have provided health and nutrition and hygiene awareness services for 5,515 returnees in SpinBoldak, Takhtapul and Rahmat Mina. Other services include 889 outpatient consultations,2,310 vaccinations for children under 5, 514 vaccinations for women including pregnant women, 466 antenatal care services, and 93 postnatal care services. Additionally, we have enrolled 143 Severe Acute Malrotation children, 352 Moderate Acute Malnutrition children, and 255 pregnant and lactating women suffering from malnutrition in therapeutic feeding programmes.
We are also providing psychosocial support, hygiene awareness, health education, and referrals to health facilities for those in need of further follow-up care.
As of 4 December 2023, we have reached 1,630 returnees with hygiene awareness messaging in this area. In addition, we have provided 35,000 liters drinking water to returnees in Spin Boldakas an emergency response. The implementation of a solid waste management system with segregated waste bins and regular cleaning has further contributed to improving the living conditions of the returnees.
