Humanitarian response to improve access to adequate shelter and WASH facilities for the vulnerable families living in Wadi Salman. AAH’s proposed intervention aims to address the needs listed in the 2021 oPt Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO), specifically shelter needs in the communities located in Area C. This intervention aligns with the 1st Standard Allocation 2021 Strategy Paper and the 2021 oPt Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and will be implemented by AAH in partnership with the Rural Center for Sustainable Development (RCSD). Wadi Salman, one of the most vulnerable communities in Area C, will be targeted in this intervention. This community is extremely exposed to protection threats including risks of demolitions from the Israeli Civil administration and the risks of forcible transfers. It is also suffers from severe weather conditions. Vulnerable families’ access to safe, adequate, and healthy shelter spaces will be improved through the project activities, ensuring protection and dignity for all family members. The intervention will provide a full coverage to the shelter needs in the community and all families will receive assistance to rehabilitate their own shelters.  Female-headed HHs will be targeted, using AAH material assistance ranking tool which will play an integral part in the selection and design of project activities based on the customized needs. The project activities will be articulated around the provision of urgent rehabilitation and upgrade assistance of the existing shelters prioritizing vulnerable groups in the community with customized solutions. Specifically, the intervention will provide rehabilitation for 67 shelters in the community covering 67 families (292 beneficiaries: men 81, women 80, boys 67, girls 64) based on a full coverage/solution for shelter needs in the community through a mixed approach of cash and in-kind assistance. This intervention will improve the living conditions of the families and would contribute to removing the community from the list of communities categorized for urgent shelter needs allowing for focus on other communities in future interventions. The intervention will also address WASH needs in the targeted facilities by upgrading WASH facilities in the shelters. AAH and through cash-based intervention will support the households in upgrading/rehabilitating the WASH facilities including provision of kitchen sinks, water taps, rehabilitation of sanitation facilities at HH, and any other required improvements. The specific needs of of each HH level shall be identified jointly between AAH technical and project teams and the family members (with focus on Women). These needs shall be identified utilizing a tailored need assessment survey.
AAH and RCSD have extensive experience in shelter projects and a strong understanding of the current protection and legal concerns of Area C communities.  AAH will focus on the technical part of the project, benefiting from the wide experience the team accumulated over years as a lead in the materials assistance component in the humanitarian sector in the West Bank, while RCSD shall focus on the data collection including baseline amp endline processes and the analysis of these data as well as field support with the interventions under this project. The partners will ensure that the community is actively engaged in all phases of the project to foster a community-based approach through direct implementation methodology whereby beneficiaries will be supported with in-kind and cash-based assistance to rehabilitate their shelters, increase ownership and self-awareness of rights. Prior to implementation, the selected HHs will be informed on their rights and potential risks involved with shelter rehabilitation as well as on land and property issues. The beneficiaries’ consent to all proposed project activities will be sought. The proposed intervention is time sensitive for the targeted HHs, as these families may not be able to conduct maintenance and/or afford another summer and winter within their existing shelter conditions.