ISLAMABAD - In an important milestone towards addressing the challenges faced by urban Afghan refugees in Pakistan, the Urban Refugees Needs Assessment Study was launched in Islamabad on Wednesday. 
The assessment, conducted through the collaborative efforts between the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Institute of Management Sciences, Center for Public Policy and Research (CPPR), Peshawar and GIZ Pakistan provides an evidence base for the response to the needs of urban Afghan refugees in Pakistan. 
The study provides evidence to support the newly established Urban Refugees Support Units (URSUs) for better provision of services to urban Afghan refugees in five key areas of education, health, livelihood, protection, and repatriation.
First Secretary of the German Embassy Ms. Dorota Berezick, Secretary SAFRON, Pervaiz Ahmed Junejo; Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Muhammad Abbas Khan; Country Director GIZ Pakistan Tobias Becker; and representatives of the Afghan refugee community attended the launch event.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Khan said, “The refugees bring the world together.” Heurged the policymakers, civil society actors, and local and international partners to use the insights from this report as a catalyst for positive change. “Together, we can transform the challenges faced by urban refugees into opportunities for a brighter, more inclusive future,” he added. 
Ms. Berezick said, “Germany has a long-standing history of development partnership with Pakistan in refugee response. We look forward to sustained and collaborative approaches to effectively address the concerns highlighted in this report to Leave No One Behind.”  
Secretary Safron reiterated, “We want to ensure that Afghan refugees currently residing in Pakistan do not feel marginalized and have access to all the public services. This way, it will become an opportunity for growth, diversity and unity.”
Similarly, Mr. Becker said, “The URNA informs about the work of the new Urban Refugees Support Units that the CAR has been piloting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with our support. GIZ Pakistan supports the Government of Pakistan in fostering social cohesion between Afghan refugees and Pakistani host communities.”
“We, at GIZ Pakistan, look forward to continue to contribute to social cohesion between Afghan refugees and Pakistani host communities, that too in difficult times like nowadays,” he added.
The project strengthening education and health services for refugees and host communities in Pakistan (EHS), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, supports the Government of Pakistan in improving access to public services in the health and education sectors for Afghan refugees and vulnerable host communities in selected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.