THOUSANDS of Afghan refugees and host community families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have received much-needed health and education support through a project being implemented by Handicap International (Humanity and Inclusion – HI) with support from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) under the title “Integrated Humanitarian Response to Address Immediate Health and Education Needs of Afghan Refugees and Host Communities in KP, Pakistan.”

The project is helping vulnerable families with medical care, mental health support, disability services and education facilities close to their homes, covering ex-refugee villages in Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Buner and Chitral from January 2025 to March 2026.

Under the primary health component, the project reached 73,385 beneficiaries, including Afghan refugees, host communities and persons with disabilities. Free medical checkups, laboratory services and quality medicines were provided, while patients needing advanced care were referred to higher facilities. Nutrition screening was carried out for 13,530 pregnant and lactating women and children aged 6 to 59 months. Women and children suffering from severe and moderate acute malnutrition were properly guided and referred to treatment centers.

The project also organized 92 nutritious cooking demonstrations where 1,962 women participated and learned healthy........

© Pakistan Observer