Cash for Work Assistance to COVID-19 Affected Vulnerable Population in district Chaghi. COVID-19 pandemic has further added to the complexity of the humanitarian situation existing in district Chaghi due to drought, floods, locust swarms and long existing multidimensional chronic poverty. District Chaghi continues holding bottom ranks on human development index.  Balochistan DNS 2019  reported that in district chaghi 74% of the households were moderately or severely food insecure whereas 22% were severely food insecure. 

Agriculture, which is the mainstay of the district’s economy had been adversely impacted by the drought. Unavailability of agricultural inputs, lack of manpower, financial constraints and unavailability of seeds, loss/lack of draught animals further aggravate the situation. Livelihood of a significant number of people in chaghi also depends on cross border trade with Afghanistan recent fencing on the border between the two countries has also disrupted the livelihoods of the hundreds of people involved in this economic activity.  

Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the livelihood of all socioeconomic groups in the district hardest hit are the daily wage earners, small-scale men/women farmers and agriculture labor dependent on sustenance agriculture, in both Afghan refugee and the host communities in the area. 
These vulnerable groups have limited capacity to purchase food. It is feared that the COVID-19 pandemic may increase the adoption of the negative coping strategies, such as limiting dietary intake and diversification, distress sale of productive assets and seed stocks and borrowing at exorbitant mark-ups in order to meet their household food and non-food needs. Immediate assistance to acquire life sustaining food can be the difference between life and death for a great number of people surviving the situation so far.

The proposed intervention will address the immediate life sustaining food/nutritional needs of the most vulnerable people both in Afghan refugees and host communities in UCs through CBT both unconditional and in exchange for work and trainings depending on whether the concerned beneficiaries are unable or able to participate in work/training. Inability to participate in work/training could be on the grounds of age, disability, illness and pregnancy/child care related issues. Community’s resilience will also be built in their fight against COVID-19 by providing them necessary information, equipment and supplies to follow SOPs for prevention and protection.  The proposed target UCs are selected using FS VAM  exercise results and are in line with its priority one. 
Afghan refugee communities in the area are organized in three revenue villages (RV) namely RV chaghi, RV Posti, and RV Ljy karaze with a total population of 57159. TF proposes to select 200 beneficiary HHs from each of the three RVs (a total of 600 households benefiting 4’560 individuals) the selection will be done in close coordination with the target RVs and UNHCR. 

70 households (525 persons), will benefit from unconditional cash transfer
1440 household (10’800 persons) will participate in cash for work.
77 physical infrastructure schemes will be constructed/rehabilitated, out of which
10 will be of drinking water and the rest of the 67 schemes of irrigation and flood protection schemes.
1210 women will participate in training programs on kitchen gardening, food safety nutrition, COVID-19 prevention and TF’s accountability mechanism).
90 VDCs M/Fmembers’ orientation/training on protection, GBV, COVID 19 risk reduction measures.
600 Refugee H/Hs will receive poultry bird kits and FFS support regarding poultry management, production, breeding and poultry disease control to increase household protein production. 
Inclusivity, protection and gender equality/women empowerment will be central focus of all the interventions in this project. TF will closely coordinate with PDMA, DDMA, local authorities, UNHCR, UN Food WASH, Livelihoods clusters UNOCHA and other working in the area.