Winterization support to vulnerable households in conflict-affected rural areas in Khersonska, Zaporizka, Donetska, Mykolaivska and Kharkivska regions ltpgtltspan style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) font-family: Arial, sans-serif white-space-collapse: preserve"gtWith this proposal, Estonian Refugee Council (ERC) continues its efforts to provide winterization humanitarian assistance in the most hard-to-reach areas in east and south of Ukraine. ERC will carry out a multi-sectoral assistance program to support crisis-affected communities and people displaced due to military actions to meet their immediate basic needs in line with the needs identified by the humanitarian community for the upcoming winter.lt/spangtltbrgtlt/pgtltpgtltspan id="docs-internal-guid-4bce8397-7fff-5942-9931-b4642d437087"gtltbrgtlt/spangtlt/pgtltp style="line-height:1.2margin-top:0ptmargin-bottom:0pt" dir="ltr"gtltspan id="docs-internal-guid-4bce8397-7fff-5942-9931-b4642d437087"gtltspan style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif color: rgb(0, 0, 0) text-decoration-color: initial white-space-collapse: preserve"gtThe proposal is developed in line with the 2023 HRP objectives, focusing on 2 sectors (shelter/NFI, livelihoods assistance) and targeting five regions (Kherson’ska, Zaporizh’ka, Donetska, Mykolaivska, and Kharkivska). The choice of the target regions and target vulnerable households to be reached by ERC is based on the needs assessments done by the humanitarian community and highlighted in the HRP as the most in need regions and also in the Standard Allocation priorities. ERC’s own monitoring and needs assessments from these areas confirm the high need of assistance in these regions. Based on that, ERC is confident that the proposed multi-sectoral intervention is a valuable addition to the humanitarian operations in Ukraine, alleviating human suffering and securing the basic needs of the target populations.lt/spangtlt/spangtlt/pgtltpgtltspan id="docs-internal-guid-4bce8397-7fff-5942-9931-b4642d437087"gtltbrgtlt/spangtlt/pgtltp style="line-height:1.2margin-top:0ptmargin-bottom:0pt" dir="ltr"gtltspan id="docs-internal-guid-4bce8397-7fff-5942-9931-b4642d437087"gtltspan style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif color: rgb(0, 0, 0) text-decoration-color: initial white-space-collapse: preserve"gtThis proposal builds on ERC’s experience and current work done on the ground and the lessons learned, and considers the humanitarian community’s newly available information and strategic objectives. Under this 6-month proposed action, ERC (Estonian Refugee Council) will maintain the highly targeted, rural- and frontline-focused joint humanitarian cash program to deliver emergency support for winter energy needs (cash for heating) to 1075 conflict-affected households (appr. 2800 individuals) in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kharkiv oblasts, with a continued focus on Non-Government Controlled Areas (NGCAs), frontline, and newly liberated territories in Ukraine.lt/spangtlt/spangtlt/pgtltpgtltspan id="docs-internal-guid-4bce8397-7fff-5942-9931-b4642d437087"gtltbrgtlt/spangtlt/pgtltp style="line-height:1.2margin-top:0ptmargin-bottom:0pt" dir="ltr"gtltspan id="docs-internal-guid-4bce8397-7fff-5942-9931-b4642d437087"gtltspan style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif color: rgb(0, 0, 0) text-decoration-color: initial white-space-collapse: preserve"gtIn addition, ERC will expand and implement emergency agricultural livelihoods assistance, supporting 300 HH (800 individuals) in rural conflict-affected communities in Mykolaiv, Kharkhiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts with increased access to financial resources. The intervention aims to support HH in restoring or maintaining commercial and non-commercial agricultural, livestock and small-scale service ventures to meet minimum subsistence standards. ltbrgtltbrgtLinkages between components: The proposed project addresses both acute heating needs (support for winter energy needs) and long-term livelihoods needs (indirect provision of food through supporting income generating activities). With this approach and given the geographical differences in vulnerability and security levels and market functionality/availability of food, ERC will diversify its winterization assistance. The livelihoods component of the programme aims to economically bolster households and their surrounding communities while the cash for heating component addresses the most vulnerable whose heating needs would be unmet otherwise. Referrals between components are encouraged, i.e. providing information about the livelihoods component to the beneficiaries of heating assistance.lt/spangtlt/spangtlt/pgtltp class="sceditor-nlf"gtltbrgtlt/pgt