Food for survival project for flood affected families of districts Sanghar and Badin, Sindh During the month of August 2020, heavy rainfall resulted in major flooding in the Province of Sindh amp a province-wide Monsoon Flood Emergency was declared by the Government of Sindh on 25th August 2020. Subsequently on 29th August the provincial Government officially declared 20 districts as “calamity affected areas”, under the Sindh National Calamities (Prevention amp Relief) Act 1958. Pakistan is prone to multiple natural hazards, including floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides, snowfall, avalanches amp cyclones. The recent flooding has affected communities in both rural amp urban Sindh. In addition to crops, livestock amp houses, a lot of infrastructure has been damaged amp in some cases, people have been forced to take shelter in temporary camps.
The project will focus to provide the of food package to the flood affected communities to reduce the mortality amp morbidity among flood affected population through life saving food assistance amp as a direct or indirect consequence of COVID-19 outbreak in district Sanghar amp  Badin. Project activities include: 
Affected areas selection, selection of the most vulnerable families with the support of local CBOs, notables amp government officials. Then the verification and validation of selected beneficiaries will be conducted by HANDS MER Department in coordination with the respective district governments. Tokens in the name of beneficiary head of house hold will be generated through digitalized Beneficiary Management Information System (BMIS). Food commodities/items as per the given guidelines, will be procured by HANDS procurement and logistics department. Each district team will submit the detailed distribution plan. Accessible distribution points will be selected with community participation. HANDS Suggestion And Complaint (SAC) banner will be displayed at distribution points along with the list of food items. SAC brochures will also be given to the beneficiaries. HANDS District Executive Managers/ Project manager will orient the beneficiaries about COVID-19 preventive measures, details about the food package amp inclusion of all family members without any discrimination. 
  
The project is designed to cater the specific needs of women, men, girls, boys amp vulnerable groups in wake of heavy rains flood situation. The project intends to focus on specific areas of interventions recommended by the RNA to response the immediate needs in Food Security sector. HANDS proposed intervention districts Sanghar amp Badin are included in PHPF Five prioritized districts in Sindh for immediate response. The general food distribution plan (as per standard foods quantity) for specific duration for vulnerable families is proposed focused on men, women, children – girls and boys, persons with disabilities, pregnant lactating mothers. The beneficiaries’ selection will be done on defined criteria, with support of district authorities, DDMA amp other stakeholders. 

Project staff will be oriented on HANDS Gender policy amp Protocols, GBV, PSEA, Leave No One Behind, Do No Harm amp Sphere standards. HANDS management amp monitoring team will ensure to implement on these policies amp protocols in the field. Community will be oriented about HANDS SAC policy, procedure amp contact numbers for any complaint amp information about any incident/ discrimination. HANDS senior management as per the defined protocol will address the complaint- if any. 

The migration of people due to flood situation is an immediate risk for project activities. Another risk is the security amp safety of the teams due to local conflicts amp large number of affected population. Coordination with district government amp community engagement may help to tackle this issue on the whole process of selection and food ration distribution. There are chances of second wave of COVID-19 to be observed intervention districts. To cope with this situation, PPEs amp orientation on COVID-19 prevention. SOPs will be provided to staff amp awareness will be provided to communities.