Through DTM, IOM will continue to monitor cross-border and in-country population mobility, as well as trends, drivers, vulnerabilities and needs associated with it, to inform the humanitarian and post-crisis response on the ground while building the foundation for longer-term solutions. This will be implemented using a participatory, inclusive and evidence-based approach.  

In Afghanistan, IOM activities will include:  

• Assess population mobility trends, numbers and locations of displaced and vulnerable populations, drivers of displacement, needs and gaps in access to services.   

• Conduct Flow Monitoring of at least four major border crossing points.  

• Conduct rapid assessments in disaster-affected locations in the immediate aftermath of an incident, or pre-return assessments in cases of anticipated evictions.  

• Harmonize displacement data across the country between IOM and UNHCR, focusing on protracted displacement and IDP returnees.  

In Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, IOM’s activities will include: 

• Maintain fruitful dialogue with de facto authorities and governments on the usefulness of DTM and ways to roll out its tools to capture more granular and thematic data.  

• Expand the collection of data on mobility patterns, including the movements of Afghans returning to Afghanistan through various border crossing points. 

• Support the dissemination of evidence-based data on mobility patterns between and among Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as along the migration route to Europe, to inform policy and programmatic action. 

• Conduct comprehensive assessments and studies to identify feasible solutions for major barriers faced by refugees in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

• Conduct training on the use of DTM to inform humanitarian assistance and enhance preparedness, as well as on migration governance indicators and IOM migration management tools, with a focus on the link between migration and sustainable development, security and data protection principles. 

In the remaining neighbouring countries, IOM will: 

• Advocate for the use of DTM data to support the Government of Uzbekistan in developing its migration strategy and profile, which cover all migration-related topics and migrant groups, including crisis and displacement.  

• Deliver capacity development trainings on migration metadata, as well as data collection and analysis, migrant-sensitive national epidemiological surveillance systems, early detection and community response. 

• Support national partners on ways to use gender-sensitive migration data in developing and/or updating national development plans and policies. 

• Conduct comprehensive assessments and studies to identify feasible solutions for major barriers faced by refugees in host countries. 

IOM works to provide life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable, including through the provision of multi-purpose cash assistance.  

In Afghanistan, IOM will: 

• Provide cross-border multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) at reception and transit centres to support returnees to cover their basic needs, such as overnight accommodation and food throughout their journey back to their destination of choice in-country with the objective of helping them cope and reintegrate in their areas of return. This support will become even more essential given the current significant increase in Afghan returnees from Pakistan, which is expected to continue in 2025.   

In neighbouring countries, IOM’s activities will include: 

• Cover the basic needs of Afghan migrants and host communities with MPCA, food and non-food items, to bolster social protection, resilience and stabilize communities. MPCA will also be a critical lifesaving intervention in Pakistan for those at risk of deportation - should the Illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan (IFRP) Phase II be launched.  

• Provide lifesaving assistance in Iran in case of disasters to support ongoing efforts by national actors and in line with relevant contingency planning developed as part of the risk reduction focus in 2024. 

IOM will maintain existing camp coordination and camp management (CCCM) interventions, focusing on operations and coordination in light of the current displacement trends, and anticipated population movements following disasters. 

In Afghanistan, this will include: 

• Deploy CCCM mobile teams to coordinate services with partners, including site and service monitoring, infrastructure and maintenance works, and advocacy for unmet needs in response to sudden onset disasters such as earthquakes and floods. The teams will ensure community participation and engagement throughout the CCCM life cycle. 

• Continue operation of established Community Resource Centres (CRCs), which serve as vital platforms for two-way communication, feedback and complaints, referrals, provision of specialized services and community engagement activities. 

• As a core member of the CCCM working group (WG) and Durable Solutions WG, continue to provide technical advice and conduct advocacy on internally displaced persons’ (IDPs’) rights against evictions, connecting CCCM activities to longer-term sustainable solutions for IDPs and returnees.  

In neighbouring countries, IOM’s activities will include: 

• Enhance capacity strengthening of partners and government actors on CCCM and displacement management. 

• Provide technical advice to partners, coordinate WG sessions and facilitate community involvement in humanitarian programming and decision-making. 

• Improve communal infrastructures to support disaster and displacement-affected communities by increasing access to essential services, creating a safer, more livable environment and boosting social cohesion by involving community members in planning and implementation. 

• Contribute to developing and updating contingency plans to enhance preparedness for displacement crises, emphasizing inclusive approaches that consider the needs of vulnerable groups.  

As lead of the Shelter and Non-Food Item (S-NFI) cluster, IOM will continue and/or scale up, interventions through in-kind or cash-based modalities according to the operational context, to support those whose homes have been damaged or destroyed by hazards or other events and those who have been displaced or have returned, as well as vulnerable households in local communities.  

The scale of internal displacement in Afghanistan, linked to a series of earthquakes and floods in the last two years, coupled with limited stock supplies and capacity, has led IOM Afghanistan to scale up its S-NFI response in 2025. IOM activities will include:  

• Increase cash-based interventions (CBI) to address immediate winterization and S-NFI needs, contributing to cluster efforts to meet urgent needs, support survival capacities, and prevent mortality. IOM will also expand CBI in general through cash for NFI, rent, transitional shelter and shelter repair.  

• Pre-position and distribute S-NFI materials and items.  

• Design, set up/construct, and/or upgrade emergency shelters, transitional/core shelters and housing, while providing technical support on housing, land and property (HLP) and settlement planning.  

• Continue role as Co-Chair of the S-NFI Cluster, which also currently covers CCCM, to ensure a timely, well-coordinated, and cost-effective response. 

In neighbouring countries, IOM’s activities will also include: 

• Core elements, mainly in Pakistan and Iran, will include: Distribute emergency S-NFI, support shelter repair and reconstruction, provide technical assistance, undertake winterization campaigns, and, in Pakistan, coordinate the S-NFI sector (including the CCCM Working Group). 

IOM will aim to provide crisis-affected households with sustained access to sanitary services to improve hygiene practices and prevent the transmission of diseases (including acute water diarrhea (AWD)/cholera), with a focus on the most vulnerable populations, including women, girls, and children with special needs. IOM will also provide technical and public health expertise to ensure timely and appropriate WASH response and services where needed.  

With severe water scarcity affecting much of Afghanistan, access to safe water continues to be most critical. Activities will include:  

• Establish and rehabilitate WASH facilities, such as emergency latrines and shower installations.  

• Assess, rehabilitate and expand water schemes.  

• Manage water schemes through the creation of gender-balanced community-led WASH committees.  

• Undertake hygiene promotion and awareness-raising activities, with a focus on risk mitigation measures for transmittable diseases, including  AWD/cholera.  

• Provide basic hygiene kits inclusive of menstrual hygiene management items. 

In neighbouring countries, IOM’s activities will also include: 

• Enhance access to clean and safe water and hygienic conditions for crisis- affected communities through the provision of WASH kits; repair and construction of water supply and sanitation infrastructure; and the provision of hygiene promotion activities and materials. 

• Provide water supplies and infrastructure development in regions that experience a lack of water supply. 

• Support small business operating in waste sorting/management. 

IOM will coordinate closely with partners to respond to the health needs of IDPs, returnees, and host communities. IOM aims to sustain and strengthen delivery of essential primary and secondary health care, including vaccination, and reproductive, maternal, child and adolescent health services.  

IOM in Afghanistan will:  

• Deploy mobile health teams to travel to and access hard-to reach communities, referring people to specialized services and dispensing free medicine and health supplies, including hygiene and menstrual hygiene management kits.  

• Train, equip, and supervise community health workers to ensure sustainable access to healthcare in underserved or displaced communities. 

• Conduct health promotion and risk communication activities. 

• Deploy Rapid Response Teams for disease surveillance, including screening, sample collection and testing, case management and referrals in underserved mobility corridors, border crossing points, IDP settlements and target institutions, such as public schools or hard-to-reach communities. 

• Facilitate tuberculosis programming through active case finding in hard-to-reach communities, testing and enrolment in treatment. 

In neighbouring countries, IOM’s activities will include: 

• Facilitate and increase access to primary health care and higher levels of care through mobile teams and referrals.  

• Strengthen health-care screening and referral systems at points of entry.  

• Provide technical support to stakeholders and scale up the preparedness and response capacity of stakeholders, including the training of health workers and provision of equipment and medical supplies.  

• Conduct risk communication and community engagement, offering health promotion, education, and awareness sessions on the prevention of diseases.  

• Promote migrant-inclusive health-related policies to support access to primary health care. 

• Support efforts to increase enrollment in health insurance schemes to help close the gap in health assistance and provide cash-for-health.  

• Collect and analyze information on human mobility dynamics, disease surveillance, and response mechanisms. 

IOM will implement community-based mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to promote, protect, and support the mental health and psychosocial well-being of Afghans, including IDPs and vulnerable returnees, and host communities.  

In Afghanistan, IOM activities will include:  

• Deliver training for local stakeholders on the provision of psychological first aid (PFA), basic psychosocial skills and relevant MHPSS topics.  

• Co-chair the subnational MHPSS WGs to ensure a common understanding on MHPSS concepts and terms, that standards and procedures are followed, and that responses are coordinated.   

• Offer family and community MHPSS support and facilitate socio-relational, cultural, creative, and art-based activities, in addition to focused psychosocial support through counselling, individual and family, and MHPSS-integrated livelihood support. 

• Raise awareness on MHPSS topics, psychoeducation and referral to mental health specialized care. 

In neighbouring countries, IOM’s activities will include: 

• Scale up MHPSS community services and mainstream MHPSS into other areas of interventions, with specific interventions targeting the most vulnerable such as children and their caregivers, women, persons with disabilities, and older people. This includes organizing activities and events to promote mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, reduce levels of distress and anxiety and strengthen existing sociocultural resilience and coping mechanism of individuals and groups. Community and family activities include group and individual counseling sessions and expressive art and play interventions. 

• Work with local partners to raise awareness on available MHPSS services, including distribution of psychoeducational materials. 

• Strengthen capacity of community members and health workers on MHPSS and PFA. 

• Refer people in need to specialized MHPSS and/or PFA related care.   

IOM supports economic revitalization and sustainable livelihoods, which additionally contribute to community cohesion outcomes. IOM ensures that it implements activities that benefit both displaced or returned Afghans and host community members, while being responsive to the specific (re)integration needs of people on the move.  

In Afghanistan, IOM’s support will include:   

• Create and safeguard of immediate and longer-term livelihoods and economic development opportunities by supporting local enterprises and providing business development support. Enterprises that enhance cross-border trade, labor-intensive value chains within the country and/or contribute to a circular economy will be prioritized.   

• (Re)-construct productive and basic social service infrastructure, including health clinics and schools, to strengthen local economies, livelihoods, and food security. 

• Provide emergency livelihood and economic recovery assistance through cash-for-work (construction), asset replacement and emergency business grants.  

• Provide vocational training to Afghan women to increase their access to livelihood opportunities and foster intra-communal economic integration. 

In neighbouring countries, IOM’s activities will include: 

• Provide high-quality, demand-driven vocational and technical education, designed in collaboration with industry stakeholders to meet the needs of growing economic sectors. 

• Establish small business grant schemes, such as through IOM’s Enterprise Development Fund, an innovative programme that supports livelihoods at the community level through private sector revitalization and economic development. This will include technical assistance for refugees and returning migrants, as well as private sector partnerships for business development. 

IOM will continue the delivery of area-based humanitarian, early recovery, reintegration and resilience interventions across displacement and conflict-affected communities.  

In Afghanistan, this will include:  

• Strengthen social cohesion at the local community level and contribute to economic resilience to reduce the root causes and drivers of displacement and migration. 

• Deliver essential infrastructure projects to provide communities with basic services while building community resilience.  

• Undertake participatory community development and action planning to increase civic engagement, strengthen local ownership and identify context-specific solutions for addressing the vulnerabilities of different social groups.  

• Support active collaboration and exchange among local stakeholders and community members, particularly vulnerable and marginalized groups, to enhance social cohesion and strengthen communities’ response capacities to shocks and stresses.  

In neighbouring countries, IOM’s activities will include: 

• Assist remote and marginalized communities along the Afghan border, particularly where poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment are significant drivers of instability and community tensions. 

• Foster social cohesion through community development initiatives aimed at improving service delivery and trust-building for both host communities and displaced populations, while alleviating pressure on existing services. Activities will include cash-for-work, improving access of Afghan children to formal education, quick impact projects such as enhancing education facilities or rehabilitating community spaces, and supporting services for persons with disabilities. 

• Establish social dialogue between authorities, refugees and host community and strengthen mediation and dispute resolution mechanisms. 

• Provide legal advice and awareness on non-asylum related issues to Afghan and local communities, including on obtaining or extending visas and understanding applicable rules and laws. 

• Conduct community-based awareness raising against discrimination and xenophobia and enhance Afghan youth community leadership. 

IOM will continue to support the development and implementation of migration policies and frameworks that promote good migration governance, particularly in addressing the needs of crisis-affected populations. By strengthening institutional capacities and fostering whole-of-government approaches, IOM aims to empower government actors to strengthen their approach to migration-related challenges, ensuring that policies, strategies and action plans are inclusive, rights-based, and responsive to the evolving needs of vulnerable and displaced populations. 

In neighbouring countries, IOM will work to: 

• Support governments to develop a migration-related strategies, policies and action plans, ensuring alignment with international standards and integration of crisis and displacement considerations. 

• Facilitate regional and international policy coordination. 

• Promote multi-sectoral cooperation and develop cooperation platforms. 

• Conduct capacity strengthening on migration governance and migration management tools with a focus on sustainable development, and ensuring that policies are inclusive, rights-based, and responsive to the evolving needs of vulnerable and displaced populations. 

As part of its comprehensive protection interventions, IOM will continue working to address challenges related to housing, land and property (HLP) rights and issues. 

IOM Pakistan’s activities will include: 

• Conduct research, analysis, and assessments on the HLP dynamics in IOM’s areas of intervention.  

• Provide capacity strengthening sessions on HLP to relevant stakeholders.  

• Support displaced Afghan nationals with legal advice, counselling, and legal aid, in cases related to forced evictions or other related security of tenure issues.  

In Iran, as co-lead of an inter-agency WG on legal identity under the Regional Refugee Response Plan, IOM will promote access to legal identity as part of its broader efforts to address irregular migration and vulnerabilities linked to displacement.  

IOM Iran’s activities will include: 

• Advocate for improved regularization processes. 

• Collaborate with governmental partners to improve access to legal identity documentation. 

• Streamline visa and regularization procedures, including through capacity development initiatives.  

IOM works on addressing protection risks and specific needs of vulnerable migrants, displaced populations and impacted communities through large-scale and targeted specialized protection interventions to ensure their safety and dignity.  

In Afghanistan, this is done through: 

• Provide tailored post-arrival protection assistance at border points and in provinces of return, including comprehensive protection screening, case management (and referral support) for undocumented returnee and IDP households with persons with specific needs/at risk (including women or children at risk, people with serious medical needs, older people and persons  with disability).   

In both Afghanistan and Pakistan, IOM will: 

• Conduct regular protection monitoring of, and evidence-based reporting and advocacy on, the protection environment, trends, and human rights violations. 

• Provide community-based protection and protection case management for individuals at heightened risk, including child protection. 

• Provide GBV specialized services including GBV mitigation and GBV response services, such as the provision of women and girl-friendly spaces, individual GBV case management, MHPSS for GBV survivors, awareness raising on GBV, including for men and boys, and the provision of dignity kits.   

• Support counter trafficking efforts including specialized assistance to victims of trafficking, referrals and awareness-raising.   

In the remaining neighbouring countries, IOM’s activities will include: 

• In Iran, reduce protection risks through emergency one-off protection support addressing the immediate needs, as well as case management and referrals for longer-term sustainable support.  IOM will also seek opportunities to integrate anti-trafficking measures into its protection interventions.  

• Provide legal aid, advice, and counselling, to address protection risks related to lost or civil status documentation, including on immigration status and passports.  

As part of preparedness efforts to strategically assist disaster-prone communities that face a higher risk of disaster-induced displacement, IOM supports disaster risk reduction (DRR) and disaster risk management (DRM) efforts. 

In Afghanistan, this will include: 

• Continue to support community-based DRR infrastructure in complementarity with the repair or re-construction of damaged or destroyed community infrastructure, such as irrigation canals and gabion walls, roads, schools, clinics, and water and sanitation facilities.   

• Implement community-based DRM in local communities by supporting them to develop Community Disaster Management Action Plans.  

• Establish community early warning and preparedness systems to mitigate risk and enable a more effective response.  

• Conduct hazard and vulnerability mapping and analysis to further support communities in DRM.  

• Strengthen the focus on climate change adaptation within the DRM efforts to enhance the resilience and preparedness of local communities at risk of natural hazards, as well as NGOs and implementing partners working in the field of disaster management and humanitarian assistance.   

• Preposition shelter, NFI, and winterization items to enable rapid response to sudden onset disasters and shocks such as earthquakes or floods.   

• Continue the prepositioning of WASH Core Pipeline items to ensure their availability to all WASH Cluster partners to respond to sudden needs, in line with WASH Cluster Core pipeline needs and in collaboration with partners.   

In neighbouring countries, IOM’s activities will include: 

• Strengthen governments’ capacity on the Migrants in Countries in Crisis initiative, including on the roles and responsibilities of national agencies during and after emergencies.  

• Provide training for service providers at border crossing points on the coordination and management of health and other services in sites for displaced persons in the event of emergencies or disasters, as well as training on the design and implementation of early warning systems.  

In a context of increasingly complex and high-volume movements, IOM will seek to strengthen government humanitarian border management capacities, particularly in situations of crisis or mass movements of persons across borders with a view to protecting both borders and vulnerable people on the move, including victims of trafficking. 

In neighbouring countries, IOM’s activities will include: 

• Train border authorities on humanitarian border management, including but not limited to, human rights obligations and gender-sensitive approaches, prevention and management of communicable diseases, document security and examination, identity fraud and risk analysis. 

• Improve infrastructure and equipment at border crossing points upon completion of a human rights due diligence assessment. 

• Strengthen the preparedness and response mechanisms of border management agencies to uphold the rights and safety of populations crossing borders. 

• Build on previous engagements aimed at facilitating collaboration among migration actors. 

• Strengthen efforts to combat human trafficking by enhancing the capacity of border authorities to safely identify and respond to trafficking cases.  

Recognizing crisis and instability drive irregular migration, with associated risks for people on the move, IOM seeks to support the establishment of, and enable access to, regular migration pathways, benefiting crisis-affected populations. 

In Afghanistan, IOM will: 

• Pilot a transitional mechanism in the changing context in Afghanistan. Regular pathways where feasible will be further explored with a focus on reintegration and mitigation of protection risks for undocumented returnees within their chosen areas of return, for example through livelihoods and economic recovery support. 

In neighbouring countries, including Kazakhstan, IOM’s activities will include: 

• Conduct awareness-raising on safe migration and migration governance, including on the risks of trafficking and labour exploitation and ethical recruitment practices, for government agencies, employers and other partners, and migrants.  

• Promote initiatives focusing on possible South-South cooperation aiming to strengthen labour mobility and complementary pathways to enhance employment prospects and sustainable economic growth. 

Together with other UN agencies and NGOs, IOM actively supports the coordination at the national and regional levels towards supporting long-term solutions for the displaced Afghan population.  

In Afghanistan, IOM support will include:

• Continue chairing the central region Durable Solutions Working Group (DSWG) and co-chairing the Working Group of the Northeast.  

• Produce tools, reports, guidance or training materials in line with strategic issues and information gaps.  

• In line with the identified WASH Cluster Core pipeline needs and in collaboration with partners, continue the prepositioning of WASH Core Pipeline items. The pre-positioned items will be rendered available to all WASH Cluster partners to respond to sudden needs.  

In neighbouring countries, IOM’s activities will include: 

• Procure emergency equipment for addressing emergency situations and provide related technical support for partners. 

• Conduct simulations/trainings for relevant actors on effective crisis response.