PROJECT OVERVIEW

In order to eliminate extremism and insurgency, military operation against insurgents has been launched in FATA’s North Waziristan Agency.  As a result, approximately more than 900,000 people were reportedly displaced and migrated to various regions of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Responding to deal with and support a massive displacement, the government of Pakistan and humanitarian organization initiated relief activities for fulfilling their basic needs like accommodation, food and health care. Similarly, due to a massive displacement of the population, several protection issues are also raised. It was a dire need of the day to provide protection services to the host community and Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs).

BEST Started protection services since June 2014 for the TDPs living in Kurram Agency, District Kohat and Tank under Emergency Response Fund (ERF) UNOCHA. The project was mainly focus on provision of protection services i-e  1) Establishment of Grievance Desks at WFP food distribution points for referral of grievances of TDPs to the concerns stakeholders,2) Legal Aid support Services (such as counseling, advices on civil documentation), 3) Protection Monitoring through Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant interviews, 4) Awareness Raising  Session , 5) Broadcasting of Key Messages on local FM Radio and 6)  Capacity Building Training Sessions for the Stack holders and Protection Committees.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

To protect civil and humanitarian rights of TDPs in host areas of Tank and Kurram through access to protection services and rights.

TARGET AREA

The project was implemented in District Tank, District Kohat and Kurram Agency.

 

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

Keeping in view the culture sensitivity of the TDPs, two separate Grievance desks for both male and female were established at WFP food distribution point’s /hubs at Kurram Agnecy, District Kohat and Tank for the conflict affected TDPs. Similarly,  male and female grievance desk officers were assigned at each grievance desk to record the TDPs grievances during food distribution Cycle. During off days of distribution, BEST protection team recorded TDPs grievances through mobile grievance approach in their villages. BEST protection team provided legal aid/support on civil documentations to TDPs in district Kohat, Tank and Kurram agency. One male and female Legal Officers were assigned at each Legal desk to provide legal advices and counseling services to TDPs. Male and female legal officers provided legal advices and counseling services on importance and procedure of civil documentation in WFP food distribution points and in host communities during their field visits. BEST male and female protection officers conducted regular protection monitoring and consultation for identification of individual and group protection concerns of TDPs. FGDs and key informant interviews have conducted with TDPs. The identified individual and group protection concerns referred on inter agency referral form to relevant service providers/stakeholders. Regular follow up made with stakeholders regarding the referred protection concerns.

 

As per the need (identified in Protection Monitoring), Awareness Raising Sessions were conducted with TDPs men, women, girls, boys, elderly and people with disabilities in TDPs concentrated villages in district Kohat, tank and Kurram Agnecy. Capacity building Training on protection for the Stakeholders/Service providers conducted in district Kohat, Tank and Kurram Agency.BEST project team established  male and Female protection committees  in different TDPs concentrated Villages in district Tank and Kurram. Total 38 (20 Tank and 18 Kurram) volunteer protection committees have been established including 28 Male and 10 Female committees. Additionally, already established protection committees were restructured and strengthened.

Capacity building Training on protection for the protection committees conducted in district Tank and Kurram Agency. Total 38 training sessions (20 Tank and 18 Kurram) have been conducted. Male and female protection committee’s members participated in Training sessions.

 

PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS

 Showing the summary of overall beneficiaries covered by BEST Protection project activities in Kohat, Tank and Kurram Agency.

 

Activity Description District Total Reached Beneficiaries  Women  Men  Girls  Boys
Operation of Grievance Desks Tank 705 225 480
Kurram Agency 649 103 546
Kohat 1,470 365 1,105
Legal Aid/Support on civil documentations Tank 284 39 221 13 11
Kurram Agency 141 7 134
Kohat 34 3 31
Protection Monitoring and Consultation Tank 1,015 385 353 149 128
Kurram Agency 956 504 285 54 113
Kohat 205 60 89 40 16
Protection committees Capacity building Trainings Tank 128 44 84
Kurram Agency 126 42 84
Kohat
Stake holders Capicity Building trainings Tank 79 18 61
Kurram Agency
Kohat 37 6 31
Awareness Raising Sessions Tank 1,351 300 717 173 161
Kurram Agency 947 504 285 45 113
Kohat 520 300 176 20 24
Grand Total                  8,647         2,905         4,682          494          566

 

CHALLENGES

  1. Uncertain Security Situation:

The security situation remains uncertain in the area of intervention, due to which field regular field visits and activities remained the big challenge especially the project female staff movement in the targeted areas.

  1. Cultural constraints & barriers:
  • Due to cultural sensitivity, the team faced problems in gathering community especially females for various project activities.
  • Due to culture sensitivity the female TDPs have lack of access to NADRA office.
  1. No Service Providers (other humanitarian organizations):

Tank is a remote area and is ignored from humanitarian assistance. There is lack of other organization providing humanitarian assistance to TDPs(except WFP and Prime Foundation) which is the main hindrance in referral of protection concerns to the service providers.

  1. Lack of District Protection/Coordination Working Group(DCWGs):

The Protection Cluster and Child Protection and Welfare Commission jointly establish District Coordination Protection Working Groups in various districts of KPK but unfortunately,

the DPWG/DCWGs has not yet established in Tank. This is a big gap in coordination and local solution of protection concerns identified during protection monitoring.

  1. No updated referral pathway:

There is no updated referral pathway for referring the protection cases to relevant service providers in Tank which is developed by Protection Cluster for other districts and Agencies where the TDPs reside.

  1. Slow Response and Feedback from Relevant Stakeholders:

The responses on protection cases including legal, online grievances is slow and takes long time. This is the main challenge for the team to give feedback to the TDPs on their referred cases.

 

LESSON LEARNT:

  • Democratic trends developed as a result of committees’ formation through democratic way. The committee members were sensitized on TDPs protection rights. They were trained on case management and referral mechanism and their linkages with service providers have developed for sustainable solution after completion of project.
  • Stakeholder’s advocacy on protection rights of TDPs was done which was effective in strengthening the referral mechanism.

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