Preparing for an effective emergency response in Takhar and Badakhshan Provinces. The complexities associated with implementing programmes in Afghanistan force humanitarian agencies to remain in a continuous state of preparedness in order to respond to a growing number, and varying nature, of emergencies across the country. A significant number of communities are exposed to ongoing and deepening insecurity along with frequent shocks from natural disasters.
In response to growing humanitarian needs Concern Afghanistan is preparing for effective emergency responses over the coming 12 months. Of particular Concern Afghanistan is the growing insecurity in Kunduz which borders Takhar to the west. The agency has played a lead role during both Kunduz IDP crisis in Takhar in 2015 and 2016. Concern Afghanistan is preparing for an emergency of similar nature and scale over the duration of this project. 
The agency also responds to a number of natural disasters on an annual basis. The agency has responded to three avalanches since January this year alone. Furthermore, flooding is expected over the coming months along with landslides and possible earthquakes. 
During the emergency response Concern Afghanistan will actively support the Government of Afghanistan (GoA) agencies such as ANDMA, DACAAR and DoRR while also activating their contingency plans and deploy a team of gender balanced HEAT trained staff to conduct joint assessments with relevant agencies (consultations are already underway between Mission East and Concern Afghanistan). The assessment results will be used to identify the needs of those affected and to inform any subsequent response, including roles and responsibilities of participating agencies based on the comparative advantage of each. All information collected will be sex disaggregated and assessments will include an analysis of the needs of males and females (where different from overall needs). 
During recent consultations and based on our past experience of working together in 2016 for the Kunduz IDP crisis in Takhar, Concern Afghanistan and Mission East have agreed to closely collaborate during all assessments and ES NFI distributions in Takhar and Badakhshan provinces organised in response to IDP emergencies over the coming 12 months. Based on organisational capacities and geographic presence, Concern Afghanistan will lead the response in Takhar with the support of Mission East and Mission East with take the lead in Badakhshan with support of Concern Afghanistan. Collectively both agencies will meet the immediate needs (ES NFIs only) of up to a potential 17,644 individuals who could be displaced between three provinces (Takhar and Badakhshan Concern Afghanistan amp Mission East Baghlan Mission East only). 
During both IDP crisis in 2015 and 2016 a number of gender protection issues were highlighted (i.e. unaccompanied females, over crowded tents, lack of female sanitary/hygiene items) which Concern Afghanistan seeks to address these issues in any forthcoming emergencies. Female headed households and unaccompanied females will be prioritized during the response 15% of ES - NFIs will be reserved during each IDP response. The objective is to ensure that the safety and security of female beneficiaries is improved with these simple yet essential actions.