Responding to urgent shelter needs of vulnerable households impacted by harsh weather conditions and protection concerns in the Middle Area, Khan Younis and Rafah governorates. The proposed intervention aims to support the most vulnerable households (HH) in the Middle Area, Khan Younis and Rafah governorates, which were heavily impacted by the harsh weather since December 2021, through the provision of cash to respond to urgent shelter repairs, as well as strengthen community-based preparedness and emergency response. 
The project will provide more sustainable solutions to mitigate the further risk of exposure to extreme weather conditions, including for instance the repair of damaged roofs, fixing windows and doors, or the repair of cracked walls.
The project is thus fully aligned with the Shelter Cluster Objective 2 of the HRP 2021: “Vulnerable households exposed to harsh weather and protection concerns are supported to meet basic needs and enhance their coping capacity,” feeding into Strategic Objective 2 of the HRP, “The basic needs of vulnerable Palestinians living under occupation are met through the provision of quality basic services and improved access to resources, in accordance with the rights of protected persons under IHL.” This intervention will be implemented through a self-help approach including the distribution of cash to the most vulnerable HHs for the repair of their shelters.
In a context of exacerbated political tensions and economic downturns, intensified by the May-2021 hostilities and the difficulties to contain the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Gaza, assisting vulnerable HHs at risk to meet their most urgent shelter needs as well as efforts to build communities’ preparedness are of paramount importance. ACTED aims to ensure the protection of the HHs who were most impacted by the harsh weather since December 2021 and who are thus most at risk of natural hazards, notably for the most vulnerable groups, in particular women, children, PwDs and the elderly. 
The project thus aims at providing sustainable shelter assistance to the most vulnerable HHs affected by extreme weather and living in substandard shelters  in Middle Area, Khan Younis and Rafah governorates. The project will increase their access to safe and secure shelters. It will enhance their capacity to cope with the risk of deteriorating living conditions through the provision of urgent and sustainable shelter interventions. This response thus aims at providing a more durable solution to the assessed needs to mitigate the further risk of exposure to extreme weather conditions, such as through the repair of damaged roofs, fixing windows and doors, repair of cracked walls, etc. In total, 148 HHs will be assisted: they will be provided with a cash assistance to conduct the needed shelter rehabilitation, and with the most needed NFIs, where required.
To support the localization of the humanitarian response and ensure that even the most inaccessible beneficiaries are reached, ACTED will partner with Unlimited Friend’s Association for Social Development (UFA) who will be responsible for conducting the assessments of targeted HHs and following up on implementation through field visits. In addition, ACTED will rely on two Community Emergency Response Networks (CERNs) existing capacity to implement activities throughout the project, reaching the beneficiaries, conducting the maintenance works, and supporting ACTED’s Complaint and Response Mechanism. These two CERNs were already established under former HF-funded projects, operate in the 3 governorates and are composed of 3 Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), 4 Community-Based Protection Committees (CBPCs), and 130 volunteers (176 individuals in total).
Finally, the project design endorses all Shelter Cluster recommendations, notably through the implementation of a tailored assistance that includes the provision to 148 HHs of cash-based self-help approach for shelter rehabilitation based on their needs. This will maximise the impact on beneficiaries while fostering ownership and resilience of the targeted community.