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The majority (68%) of the returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kabul have moved into informal settlements, largely because their own homes have been destroyed or are occupied by others. |
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Location: |
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Branch: |
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Partner: Government: Government of Afghanistan
Local Authorities: Municipality district offices
Civil Society: Community organizations (Shuras, or councils of elders, of districts 5,6,7,8 and 13) International Organizations: UNHCR, UN-HABITAT |
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Donor: |
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Cost: Phase 1: US$445,568 (Sep-Dec 2003) Phase 2: US$493,101 (Feb-July 2004) |
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 Background |
| The majority (68%) of the returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kabul have moved into informal settlements, largely because their own homes have been destroyed or are occupied by others. Most of the returnees and IDPs lack secure tenure or a legal title to their old homes. This "people-based" reconstruction project started from the premise that people have the capacity to house themselves if they have security of tenure and if they are actively supported by the authorities. The programme was designed to assist vulnerable returnee families who would otherwise be unable to rebuild their houses, by providing financial and technical assistance and generating skilled and unskilled employment opportunities in the rebuilding process. The programme was founded on the principle that the reconstruction of housing in Kabul must be affordable to the authorities. It targets 1,700 families in the 5 Districts of Kabul that most severely destroyed during the years of conflict. |
Activities |
| A Management Committee comprising representatives of the Municipality, the Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation (MORR), communities, women's Community Fora, and UN-HABITAT was established in each district. The Committee had the responsibility to carry out procurement, undertake selection of beneficiaries, and supervise the project. Families were selected on the basis of initial identification by the Wakil (a representative of a neighbourhood in an urban area) followed by individual house visits, social verification and final selection by the Committee. Security of tenure was achieved through municipal certification that the family was allowed to remain in place, and therefore was provided de facto tenure. For the procurement of materials, the Committee obtained good value, high quality material in bulk through market bargaining. Materials were distributed to each family with the assistance of UN-HABITAT. In order to reduce costs, communities also manufactured their own sun-dried bricks. The Committee was also responsible for checking the quality of materials, and those not conforming to the minimum quality standard were rejected and replaced at the cost of the supplier. The project provided families with materials up to the equivalent of US$625 per unit depending on the scale of works; some houses required repair or partial reconstruction, while others required total reconstruction. Families constructed houses themselves, and where additional workers were required, were responsible for using their own resources to pay the workers. |
Results |
| This project has been well-received by the beneficiaries. The opportunity to make decisions regarding their homes allows families to optimise their resources, which in turn gives greater satisfaction to the beneficiary families. The transparent system of material needs identification, procurement and distribution has ensured better quality control and cost-effectiveness. Project activities have boosted the local economy and skilled and unskilled labourers have profited from gainful employment, which, in turn, has provided wages to support otherwise financially weak families. The number of houses constructed in each district/project phase were: Phase I: House Construction (total 596) (District 5: 196; District 6: 200; District 8: 200) Phase II: HouseConstruction (total 500) (District 5: 120; District 6: 70; District 7: 70; District 8: 110; District 13: 130) |
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