Providing immediate life-saving food assistance to 706 vulnerable households in the Unions of Municipalities of Jabaal Akroum, Joumeh, and Wadi Khaled, Akkar. The proposed project aims at providing life-saving food assistance to the most vulnerable households (HHs) in the Unions of Municipalities of Jabaal Akroum (7 municipalities), Joumeh (5 municipalities), and Wadi Khaled in the Governorate of Akkar. Specifically, the action aims to improve access to nutritionally balanced food, by distributing dry food parcels, paired with wash kits, and complemented with fresh fruit and vegetables to 621 vulnerable HHs in the mentioned areas, for six months. Moreover, the intervention will be providing dry food parcels paired with WASH kits to 85 HHs with individuals Covid-19 positive or at high risk of contracting the virus. The intervention addresses critical gaps and meets the needs of vulnerable groups, especially targeting families with children, pregnant and lactating women and elderly people with chronic diseases, offering support to HHs who do not currently receive assistance from NGOs or the Government in neglected areas.
The project will directly target 3036 individuals, while the number of indirect beneficiaries is calculated to be 342. It is proposed to increase access to core relief and Covid-19/Hygiene items for the most vulnerable HHs where individuals are Covid-19 positive and isolating at home or at high risk of contracting Covid-19. In this case, two parcels will be guaranteed per month instead of one.
Specifically, the project will contribute to cover the needs identified and described in detail below by identifying the most vulnerable households through a participatory approach (FGDs and KIIs with the communities, local authorities and key informants), and then validating them, in the most vulnerable municipalities of the Union of Jabal Akroum (in brackets the tentative target for each municipality, which will be subject to changes during the implementation due to the real needs and the Covid-19 cases in each municipality) : Sahleh (27), Mouanse (18), Qinye (24), El Bsatine (5), Mrah El Khaoukh (7), Kfartoun (65), Akroum (55), and in the Union of Municipalities of Joumeh: Akkar El Aatiqa (197), Ed Daoura (60), Aaiyat (64), Ain Yaaqoub (17), Borj El Arab (21), attached the map (Annex 2. Areas of Intervention), and in the Union of Municipalities of Wadi Khaled (146).
A set of procurements will be launched by WW-GVC before the distribution to select the contractors for the supply of dry food parcels and three different WASH kits (Hygiene, Baby and Elderly), while the selection of cooperatives and farmers for the fresh food supply will be entrusted to the local partner MADA, experienced in agroecology and food sovereignty, which has built a territorial approach focusing on Akkar. WW-GVC aims to support its local partner during the first weeks of implementation, training its staff in the areas of Procurements and MampE, according to its requirements and needs.
The distribution will be conducted by WW-GVC staff, together with the support of MADA and volunteers employed by the Municipalities. Distributions will be made at secure distribution points or, for the most vulnerable, will be carried out door-to-door. The distribution of fresh vegetables will be conducted twice a week for both modalities, over 6 months, counting two different sets of vegetables. Every WASH and Covid-19 kits will also include awareness leaflets guiding on hygiene good practices and social distancing, vaccination, and any other pertinent information. 
The strategy has been developed in collaboration with all relevant actors. Coordination with the Food Security Cluster and its members, as well as communication with the Municipalities, MoSA, SDCs and the ONGs operating in Akkar, have been carried out during the design of this proposal and will continue during its implementation. Moreover, the action is aligned with the strategic objectives of the LHF 2021 1st Standard Allocation as described in detail in the following paragraphs.