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Pakistan

In Pakistan, HI supports refugees, returnees, and crisis-affected host communities, with a particular focus on adults and children with disabilities.

Pakistanese children

Actions in process

In Pakistan, HI supports crisis-affected populations, including Afghan refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons, and vulnerable host communities, with a strong focus on persons with disabilities and other at-risk groups.
HI intervenes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces, through health, mental health, education, protection, and rehabilitation services.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, HI supports Afghan refugees and host communities, focusing on inclusive education, mental health, rehabilitation, and protection services. These interventions prioritize children, especially children with disabilities, through safe learning spaces and programs, and psychosocial support.

HI is scaling up community-based psychosocial support, outreach services, and disability-inclusive assistance, including rehabilitation and assistive devices.

Following 2025 monsoon floods, HI implemented emergency responses in Swat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Sujawal (Sindh), combining mental health, rehabilitation, inclusive hygiene, and basic needs support. 
In Gilgit-Baltistan (Ghizer District), HI provided targeted winter assistance during extreme cold waves, including cash, equipment to face cold, dignity kits, and nutritional assistance for vulnerable households.

 

Areas of intervention

 

Situation of the country

Pakistan faces compounded humanitarian and development challenges, including climate shocks, economic instability, and protracted displacement.

The 2022 floods, which submerged one-third of the country, continue to drive recovery needs, particularly in vulnerable and disaster-prone areas. Climate variability, including floods and cold waves, continues to exacerbate risks for already marginalized populations.

New policy by Pakistani authorities has triggered large-scale returns of Afghan nationals, leading to secondary displacement, loss of livelihoods, overcrowding in urban areas, and reduced access to basic services, particularly affecting women, children, and persons with disabilities.

Pakistan also faces significant human development challenges, with persistent gaps in education, healthcare, and social protection. Persons with disabilities remain disproportionately excluded due to systemic barriers, limited data, and socio-cultural stigma, despite Pakistan being a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

  • Number of HI staff: 59
  • Programme opened in: 1984 
 
Map of HI's interventions in Afghanistan Pakistan

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© L. Chancenotte / HI