Abdul Mateen, a 35-year-old father of four children, who was displaced from Khanabad in Kunduz due to conflict, has spent five years as an IDP living in one of Kabul informal settlement of PD21 GA16. Before the conflict, Abdul and his family were living in a decent house that provided protection.

 “I had a better life in Kunduz, at least the condition of our house was better, but due to conflict, we had to leave our house with nothing.”

The entire time Abdul and his family have lived in Kabul, they have faced many challenges including sharing a one room house without proper doors and windows with his four children, exposing them to protection risks. Despite not being in good health due to an accident that happened while working in a car repair shop back in Kunduz that affected his nervous system, he is forced to work as an apprentice in a carpentry shop to earn money to support his family.

“I was working in a car repair shop when a car’ hydraulic jack fell on my head affecting my nervous system. This has affected my arms and legs as they do not function and move properly.”

In Afghanistan, displaced people like Abdul and his family continue to face many challenges including possibility of being forcefully evicted, lack essential social services such as water and decent housing/shelter, exposing them to many protection risks such as cold during the winter.

“I live with my four children in a one room house, which did not have a proper window and door. We used to face many problems during the rainy season with water entering our house. On cold winter nights when we were not able to heat our room, my daughter always used to complain of severe pain in her feet. I had no money and no proper job to treat myself and my daughter and at least to repair the window and door of my house.”

To support displaced people like Abdul, UN-Habitat Afghanistan with support from the Afghanistan
 Humanitarian Fund (AHF), conducted a survey in Dag Tarakhil to identify people that needed minor shelter repairs, major shelter repairs, and new transitional shelters. Families like Abdul’s family were selected to be supported. UN-Habitat approached the support in a unique way with each family shelter or house being assessed and tailor-made needs identified and supported.

“I was very happy when the survey team from UN-Habitat came to our village and included me in the list of beneficiaries. They procured and installed the window and door for me. Now we are so happy, and we feel safe. We would love to express our heartfelt gratitude to UN-Habitat, especially the shelter repair project team, and all the donors and implementors of the project.”

Many families in Afghanistan are still in need of decent shelter and housing that will protect them from preventable deaths caused by the cold winter seasons. UN-Habitat Afghanistan is grateful for the generous support provided by Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) through UN OCHA that has made it possible for families like Abduls family to live in a decent shelter that protect them from many risks.