R 020504Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2100
INFO AMEMBASSY KABUL 
AMCONSUL KARACHI 
AMCONSUL LAHORE 
AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 
CIA WASHDC
USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
USMISSION GENEVA

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000686 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM CA PK
SUBJECT: ISLAMABAD REFUGEE AFFAIRS WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT: MARCH 
23-27 
 
Resuming Repatriation on April 1 
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¶1. (U) UNHCR said voluntary repatriation of registered Afghans in 
Pakistan would be resumed on April 1.  This repatriation would be 
only from Peshawar as the security situation in Balochistan does not 
allow for repatriation at the moment.  Registered Afghans living in 
the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP), Punjab, Sindh, as well as in 
the federal capital district of Islamabad, who choose to repatriate 
to Afghanistan with UNHCR assistance, can approach the voluntary 
repatriation center in Peshawar. 
 
Refugee Villages in Swabi, NWFP 
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¶2. (SBU) Refugee Affairs Specialist (RAS) visited the International 
Medical Corps (IMC) health project to monitor and evaluate IMC's 
primary health and gender based violence (GBV) projects for Afghans 
in two refugee villages of Barakai in Swabi district of NWFP.  IMC 
is providing primary health care services to approximately 50,000 
Afghan refugees through two basic health units (BHU).  IMC has 
competent and hardworking staff who work with the refugee community 
six days a week with extensive community support.  Though IMC has 
established a network of health and other committees across refugee 
villages, it needs to link health education with water and 
sanitation issues.  RAS noted from discussions with refugee elders 
that the number of patients with hepatitis B and C is on the rise, 
and one person has died from hepatitis. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The IMC GBV project is one of the new programs PRM added 
during the last funding cycle.  IMC has developed GBV literature in 
local languages and formed committees to help raise awareness of 
refugees and educate them on GBV issues.  IMC has not so far been 
confronted with security issues and is maintaining a low profile to 
avoid interruption.  There is a need to increase the intensity of 
monitoring visits by the IMC Peshawar office and their coordination 
with local health authorities.  IMC's next proposal to PRM should 
reflect these issues, and how it plans to address them. 
 
PATTERSON