Emergency Food Assistance to Communities affected by COVID-19 in Arghistan, Miwand, and Nesh District of Kandahar The project will provide emergency response to the potentially vulnerable household (HHS) in Arghistan, Nesh, and Miwand districts of Kandahar province who are food insecure as they are living under the poverty line and experienced various multiple resilience eroding shock in the past six (6) months, and those subject to recent COVID-19 pressured, including loss of employment. These people were already struggling to manage their minimum food requirements, their situation is worsened by the loss of income/ earning opportunity and thus, purchasing power, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan. As a consequence of the pandemic, complete lockdown measures have been imposed in the entire Kandahar province resulted in daily wage opportunities and small trader income to significantly decrease.  

ANCC will provide a two months half basket cash for food assistance to a total of 20,000 individuals (2,857) household (HHS) in three districts (Arghistan, Nesh, and Maywand) of Kandahar province. Based on the cluster standards package, every eligible HH will receive USD 90. This amount is based on the FSAC endorsed standard package (calculated based on 2,100 kcal/person/day food needs of an average size family and the market price of food items). ANCC will carry out market price monitoring prior to distribution to verify the feasibility and appropriateness of the ash amount. Most of the time, cash for food is preferred by vulnerable populations. As per field information in terms of the market, access is available in all districts. The Arghistan district is blocked to Kandahar city but the trader imports the food commodities from Spin-Boldak district. 
 
.The COVID-19 lockdown and crisis have resulted in a serious and sustained impact on Kandahar and all Afghanistan’s economy. Recovery is expected to take several years, with new investment constrained by political uncertainties, continued insecurity, and question around ongoing international support. This project will support the most food-insecure population of the above-mentioned three districts. The COVID-19 has resulted to further deteriorate the food security situation of the lower-income population. This project will target them so that they can survive without adopting negative coping strategies and fulfill their daily food consumption to address the obstacles. 

Protection will be integrated across the project cycle by raising awareness among the women and men about their rights. Women’s rights will be discussed in-country context, gender-based violence (GBV) impacts, measures to mitigate GBV, and ways of getting support in case of rights violations, GBV, or other protection concerns. The women and men of the selected HHS will also be made aware of COVID-19 risks, prevention methods, and other crucial information in this regard. This will be done with no additional cost except staff time. COVID-19 awareness-raising messages developed by the Ministry of Public health (MoPH) with support of the World Health Organization and UNICEF in the local languages. 

ANCC will also carry out the risk analysis by conducting context and conflict analysis of the anticipated areas. This is all for better implementation of the project and security of cash assistance to be distributed to the potentially vulnerable and marginalized segment.