The RAHA programme is a government-led initiative, supported by UNDP and by UNHCR, responsible for the overall coordination of programme activities. It started operations in 2009 and was initially planned for a phase of five years. The present project is part of the third programme phase (2016-17) and is financed to a major part by KfW development bank.

The programme seeks to increase cohesion and tolerance among host communities and the Afghan refugee population and aims to improve the living conditions of both the Pakistani host communities and the Afghan refugee population. Development interventions under the RAHA programme comprise support for rehabilitation and construction of physical infrastructure in the hosting communities. The programme seeks to improve service delivery of public institutions by strengthening capacities of the government, community institutions and vulnerable groups. The activities cover the sectors health, education, water and sanitation, community infrastructure and the project supports livelihood activities.

The programme covers the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh and FATA, whereas the majority of intervention is rolled out in KP and Balochistan. The KP districts of Manshera, Swabi and Peshawar have been covered in the programme for several years. Kohat district will be included for the first time during phase III. Project activities are proposed by district authorities and selected on the basis of pre-defined criteria by a commission as well as stakeholders from national and provincial levels.

Approved project activities are partly implemented by line departments of the provincial administration, and partly by NGOs having passed a pre-qualification process (IPs=Implementation Partners).

Overall Goal of the Project:

• Contribution to improving the general living conditions of the poor in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa;
• Promotion of peaceful coexistence of the Pakistani population and Afghan refugees.

Three Project Objectives:

• Improving the access of the target group to social infrastructure and services;
• Reducing extreme poverty & improving opportunities to generate income for the target group;
• Promoting civil society and the participation of the population in local decision-making processes.