SALAM Annual Progress Report 2018

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SALAM Annual Progress Report 2018

December 31, 2018

Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons are among the most vulnerable population groups in Afghanistan, with high levels of socio-economic vulnerability, including restricted access to basic services and employment opportunities. Within these groups’ women, youth, persons with disabilities and unskilled labourers are especially vulnerable. Large inflow of returnees and displaced persons can strain the capacity of host communities. Competition for limited resources and services can too easily become a driver of conflict. Extreme vulnerability increases the risk of radicalization, and recruitment for violent extremism.

Against this context, the Support Afghanistan Livelihoods and Mobility (SALAM) project is a joint programme of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), International Labour Organization (ILO) and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA). With funding support from the Government of Finland, SALAM aims to meet the sustainable livelihoods needs of returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nangarhar Province, along with other vulnerable groups such as women, youth and people with disabilities.

SALAM project faced considerable challenges in launching activities and delivery of results to beneficiaries at the start of 2018, however by the conclusion of the reporting period solid groundwork for successful activity implementation and completion in during the final project year in 2019 was established. Delivery under project Output 1 (labour migration) saw the launch of the National Labour Migration Strategy and provision of high level support for the development of the Labour Migration Database, and capacity building activities in the area of skills certification, assessment and entrepreneurship skills were implemented. The period October- December 2018 also saw a rapid acceleration of delivery of SALAM project activities under project Output 2 (employment opportunities). Identification and selection of 800 beneficiaries for delivery of training and employment placement services began in Jalalabad, with the aim of increasing employment opportunities for returnees, IDPs, members of host communities, women, youth and people with physical disabilities. In Quarter 4, contract was awarded for youth internship activities for 125 vulnerable youth in Nangarhar. SALAM partner ILO also commenced beneficiary selection and training.