Emergency Cash Support for Acutely Food Insecure Households in Priority Districts of Maidan Wardak Province ltpgtAfghanistan is one of the world’s most acute and complex humanitarian crises. According to the Inter-Cluster Coordination Team’s (ICCT) Inter-Sector Winter Prioritization for 2023 (August 2023), acute food insecurity and malnutrition conditions are expected to remain throughout winter. Approximately 17.2 million Afghans (40 %) are experiencing Crisis or Emergency (IPC Phase 3 or 4) levels food insecurity, as of April 2023. This includes nearly 3.4 million people (around 8%) experiencing IPC Phase 4. The winter period, which coincides with the lean season in most areas of the country, typically witnesses a worsening of the food security situation: freezing temperatures and harsh weather conditions, compounded by increased seasonal barriers in accessing markets and livelihood opportunities, are expected to both deepen and widen the food security crisis. FAO’s Data In Emergency Monitoring (DIEM) briefing published in May 2023 shows the prevalence of recent moderate and severe food insecurity improved slightly remained very high (82%). Severe RFI, as measured with the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), increased from 17% in August 2022 to 21% in February 2023. According to the same briefing, the prevalence of food insecurity is high in all provinces, but particularly in Maidan Wardak.  ltbrgt ltbrgtAgainst this fragile backdrop, DRC is proposing a six-month project to support 3,860 acutely food insecure host, internally displaced and returnee households (27,020 individuals) in Chak-e-Wardak, Daymirdad, Hesa-e-Awal-e-Behsud, Jaghatu, Jalrez, Markaz-e-Behsud, Maydan Shahr, Nerkh, and Saydabad districts of Maidan Wardak province. Food assistance will be delivered through the provision of cash for food covering 50% of the basic food basket over a three-month period ($37.5 per month, for 3 months, total $112.5 per household). DRC will distribute the cash support in one tranche via a pre-contracted hawala supplier.  Considering the availability of some sources of food from own production and the market, DRC has aligned the proposed response to FSAC recommendations for the provision of cash for food assistance for IPC Phase 3 and 4 populations. The provision of three  months of assistance via one installment is designed to allow households to stock-up before the winter period, when mobility is restricted due to weather and to mitigate risks and burden related to traveling to distribution points, especially for women, elderly, and people with a disability, and in rural areas. The implementation approach will be further informed by consultations with affected populations to gauge their preferences and verified by market monitoring throughout the project lifespan. The feasibility and relevance of the cash intervention was confirmed through preliminary market assessments and DRC’s extensive experience delivering cash and voucher assistance (CVA) across all targeted districts of Maidan Wardak. ltbrgt ltbrgtThe target districts were identified from the ICCT priority locations and included in the AHF 2023 Standard Allocation Guidelines as priority locations. The prioritization of the selected locations was done in light of the high need for food security interventions documented by a composite indicator covering the IPC projection for May – October 2023, FSAC response gaps, and extreme weather conditions (e.g., temperature, snow coverage). Cash was selected as the most relevant and effective modality to meet project participants’ food needs given the proven functionality and accessibility of markets and basic commodities in target districts. In addition, cash assistance was also found to be the preferred methodology according to DRC’s recent Household Emergency Assessment Tool (HEAT) assessments conducted ahead of the delivery of cash assistance to flood-affected households in the target and by DRC post-distribution monitoring exercises. ltbrgtlt/pgt