Deadline: 15-Mar-2026
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) seeks partners to implement community-based protection monitoring and support for 50,000 asylum-seekers, refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and returnees across Afghanistan. The initiative focuses on protection services, community engagement, empowerment of women and persons with disabilities, and strengthening local civil society.
Overview of the Opportunity
The UNHCR is issuing a Call for Expression of Interest (EOI) to identify capable partners to implement community-based protection monitoring and targeted protection support across Afghanistan. This initiative addresses the urgent humanitarian needs of vulnerable populations, including asylum-seekers, refugees, IDPs, and returnees. The program emphasizes protection, community engagement, empowerment, and inclusion, ensuring life-saving services while promoting local ownership and sustainable solutions.
Context: Afghanistan’s Humanitarian and Protection Environment
Despite the end of major hostilities and Taliban consolidation in August 2021, Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises: Millions remain internally displaced. Millions more are refugees or in refugee-like situations in neighboring countries. Large-scale returns from Pakistan and Iran continue to strain vulnerable communities. Political restrictions have limited access to basic rights, especially for women and girls, and constrained civil society operations. Protection actors must navigate these restrictions while ensuring life-saving services, access to durable solutions, and meaningful engagement with affected communities. According to the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, 21.9 million people require humanitarian assistance, 15 million need targeted protection services, and chronic vulnerabilities include food insecurity, climate shocks, and cross-border returns.
Key Objectives and Focus Areas
UNHCR aims to strengthen community-based protection and civil society engagement across Afghanistan. The program focuses on:
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Protection Monitoring: Collect quantitative and qualitative data via household assessments, key informant interviews, and focus groups; use age, gender, and diversity (AGD) approaches; identify individuals with specific protection needs for referral.
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Emergency Assessments: Participate in multi-sectoral assessments during new displacements caused by conflict or natural disasters; collaborate with local community structures.
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Community Engagement: Deploy community-outreach volunteers, nearly 50% of whom are women; promote two-way communication, disseminate protection information, and support referral mechanisms.
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Empowerment & Inclusion: Support women-led organizations and groups for persons with disabilities; provide training, mentoring, and small-scale grants; mainstream community-based approaches into education, livelihoods, and public health.
Who Is Eligible?
Organizations that can demonstrate experience in community-based protection monitoring, capacity to reach 50,000 people across multiple Afghan provinces, ability to implement age, gender, and diversity-sensitive approaches, commitment to community engagement and inclusion, and experience supporting women-led groups or organizations of persons with disabilities.
Why This Initiative Matters
This program addresses critical gaps in Afghanistan’s protection landscape: Mitigates vulnerabilities for displaced and returnee populations; strengthens civil society participation in protection and solutions initiatives; promotes inclusive, sustainable community empowerment; enhances coordination with humanitarian and local actors. By building local capacity and supporting marginalized groups, the initiative fosters resilience and improves protection outcomes.
How It Works / How to Apply
Step 1: Expression of Interest Submission – Submit organizational profile and relevant experience in protection monitoring, including previous work with vulnerable populations, emergency assessments, or community engagement.
Step 2: Partner Selection – UNHCR evaluates capacity, geographic reach, technical expertise, and experience with AGD-sensitive programming.
Step 3: Agreement and Implementation – Selected partners receive guidance and tools from UNHCR, implement community-based protection activities, emergency assessments, and volunteer engagement, and provide reports on monitoring data, referrals, and community feedback.
Step 4: Capacity Building and Grants – Partners may receive small-scale grants to strengthen local organizations, particularly women-led groups or organizations of persons with disabilities, with mentoring and technical support for sustainable programming.
Common Tips for Successful Applications
Demonstrate experience with Afghan communities and protection monitoring, highlight the gender, age, and diversity approach in project design, include evidence of coordination with local authorities and civil society, provide clear plans for community engagement and volunteer networks, and emphasize sustainability and capacity building for local organizations.
FAQs
1. What populations are targeted by this initiative?
The initiative targets asylum-seekers, refugees, IDPs, and returnees across multiple Afghan provinces.
2. How many people will each partner reach?
Partners are expected to reach approximately 50,000 individuals.
3. What types of activities are included?
Activities include community-based protection monitoring, emergency assessments, referrals, volunteer engagement, and capacity building for local organizations.
4. Are women-led organizations eligible?
Yes. Priority is given to women-led organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities.
5. What is the focus of data collection?
Data collection focuses on protection risks, needs assessments, AGD-sensitive information, and referral pathways.
6. How are volunteers involved?
Volunteers strengthen community engagement, disseminate information, raise awareness, support referrals, and report community needs.
7. What are the key challenges in Afghanistan?
Challenges include political restrictions, displacement pressures, exclusion of women and girls, and limited civil society operational space.
Conclusion
This UNHCR initiative offers a critical opportunity for partners to protect and empower vulnerable populations in Afghanistan. By implementing community-based protection monitoring, facilitating referrals, promoting inclusion, and strengthening local organizations, partners will play a vital role in enhancing resilience and supporting durable solutions for displaced, returnee, and host communities.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.
