ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched a nationwide verification exercise for 1.4 million Afghan refugees to distribute new smartcards among them, said a statement issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on Thursday.
The Documentation Renewal and Information Verification Exercise (DRIVE) was inaugurated in by Federal Minister for States and Frontier Region Mehboob Sultan in the presence of UNHCR Representative Noriko Yoshida.
“Pakistan has been hosting Afghan refugees for four decades, and a lot has changed since the last verification exercise 10 years ago,” said the minister. “It’s crucial that we update the data of Afghan refugees to understand their situation better.”
The UN refugee agency also highlighted the necessity of the program by mentioning its administrative significance.
“The DRIVE exercise is a leap forward for everyone,” Yoshida noted. “This step will allow refugees to have better, faster and safer access to services, including schools, hospitals and banks.”
The UNHCR representative added that the exercise will not only be helpful in verifying the existing data but will also record the skillsets of Afghan refugees, their education level and socio-economic circumstances to provide them more targeted health, education and livelihood support in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Sultan urged all Afghans with Proof of Registration cards to fully participate in the exercise.
Six hundred male and female staff – a combination of government and UNHCR personnel – will be working at some 35 DRIVE verification sites around the country.
Measures have also been taken at all DRIVE sites to mitigate COVID-19 risks through enhanced hygiene, physical distancing and the scheduling of set numbers of appointments each day.