Improving food security and meeting critical WASH and NFI needs of people in need in hard-to-reach and under-served townships in Sagaing and Magway Mercy Corps (MC) proposes to partner with Shwe Nyar Myay Development Foundation (SNMDF), Thuti Manaw Paharita organization (TMP), Social Care Volunteer Group (SCVG) and K'cho Land Development Association (COLDA) to expand humanitarian access to 8,976 crisis-affected households (HH) (42,187 individuals) in 12 under-served and hard-to-reach townships in Sagaing and Magway with high displacement rates. The 9-month project will improve the food security and meet the critical WASH needs of acutely vulnerable HHs through cash and voucher assistance (CVA) programming, specifically multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA), in order to meet their basic needs and improve their well-being and the dignity of their living conditions.  

Specifically, MC will provide MPCA to: 
* 5,876 HHs in 6 townships in Sagaing (Ye-U, Tabayin, Taze and Min-Kin through partner TMP and Sagaing and Monywa through partner SNMDF) with a one-off value-based cash transfer, based on a multisectoral package covering food and WASH needs (see Annex A for the analysis behind the transfer packages). 
* 3,100 HHs in 5 townships in Magway (SCVG will operate in Pauk, Myaing and Yesagyo COLDA in Pakokku and Yaw (Kyaukhtu subtownship)) with a one-off value-based cash transfer, based on a multisectoral package covering food and WASH needs. 

$US 547,524, representing 60% of the budget, will be directly transferred to program participants for them to make their own purchasing choices (see Annex A for transfer amounts). MC will leverage and expand its current cash distribution architecture and partnerships in Sagaing and Magway, its demonstrated capacity to deliver and access affected populations, and its expertise as co-lead of the Cash Working Group (CWG). Our recent successful cash pilot reaching over 1500 households in two new townships in Sagaing with a new network of local aid agencies demonstrates our adaptability to navigate evolving constraints and new programming realities in complex locations. In May 2022 we expanded our humanitarian support to new geographic locations, Kabayin and Kani townships, carried out by two new local partners, establishing a new window of opportunity for aid workers in Myanmar to work with religious charity groups - Paharitas are CBOs led by religious leaders, including monks, and operate through private donations and remittances often as first responders in emergencies for communities. MC is tapping into such existing structures with our proposed partnership with Thuti Manaw Paharita (TMP), who are already assisting communities in target locations. 

Cash-in-envelope is the preferred modality of participants and partners alike and will be effective in supporting vulnerable IDPs’ access to a diverse set of goods, enabling them to meet their basic needs, while also empowering them to make their own choices. 

Local partners SNMDF, TMP, SCVG and COLDA already have a strong presence and relationships in the target areas, and will play a critical role in community sensitization, program participant identification, and engagement with local vendors. 

All activities align with respective cluster objectives as well as the Strategic Objectives outlined in the Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2022, namely SO1) lives are saved and the overall health and mental and physical well-being of people affected by conflict and natural disaster is improved through timely and integrated assistance, and SO2) living standards of vulnerable people of all genders and diversities are improved and their resilience is strengthened. The project aligns with the MHF 2022 Reserve Allocation Strategy’s priority to provide multi-sectoral assistance to people in need in hard-to-reach and under-served areas and its overall approach and priority activities with the aim of addressing unmet humanitarian needs resulting from the impact of the armed conflict, the displacement situation and the negative negative impact of COVID-19 on households’ economy.