Winterization Response Assistance to HHs, affected by the conflict and natural disaster in Nuristan province of Afghanistan In line with the AHF and adapted HRP 2020, ZOA-SHPOUL will implement a winterization project in 2 districts of Nuristan: Wama and Parun. The needs and market assessment is done by ZOA, SHPOUL, and REACH show a big need to support vulnerable households with heating material and indicate the market is sufficiently functional to distribute heating material through a cash modality. 
This intervention will supply households with heating material and therefore avoid households to decrease their food intake which would bring their food security to critical levels. In addition, it will decrease child labor as children do not have to go out in the harsh winter to collect firewood lessening the prevalence of respiratory tract diseases. Research has shown that vulnerable households increase their debt during winter months, and it is especially difficult for elderly, child, or female HHHs to repay these debts after the winter season. 
ES-NFI cluster objectives are selected:SO1: Save lives in the areas of highest need with Outcome 1.2. Ensure affected population groups (IDPs, returnees, refugees, conflict-affected non-displaced and natural disaster-affected people) of all ages affected by COVID-19 and /or any other new emergencies have access to adequate shelter and NFI assistance. SO2: Protection violations are reduced and respect for International Humanitarian Law is increased with outcome 2.3. An appropriate coordinated response provides necessary protection assistance to affected communities and people, including children, in a timely manner. The first SO1 is entirely focused on the winterization however Covid-19 awareness-raising will take place during both cash distributions. SO2 focusses on Protection issues addressing the prevalence of GBV, DV, child marriages, and child labor. 

The intervention will be through unrestricted and unconditional cash distribution. To reduce the risk that cash is used for unintended purposes, beneficiaries are informed and cash is labeled and distributed in 2 installments of each USD 130 to provide firewood for 3-4 months. This modality is chosen as it empowers beneficiaries to have more control over their own resources which will maintain their dignity as they have a choice. 
The market in Parun, the capital of Nuristan, is able to deal with the demand for firewood for heating. The district Wama is closer to the Dara-e-pech district of Kunar with a market at Nangalam city able to serve the people of Wama district. The market is located on the intersection point of these districts. Wama also has its own district market with sufficient capacity to provide heating materials such as wood, heaters, shoes, etc. 
The markets are accessible on foot, donkey, and the occasional car. Donkeys carry the wood. The communities are stable hence social cohesion is reasonably strong through which community members support each other, in particular the elderly, people with disabilities, and female-headed households. 
957 Households in Nuristan will receive a winterization package which is fuel (in cash). 657 HHs from Parun and 300 HHs from Wama district will be chosen. Both markets will be able to handle this # of beneficiaries. A proven Hawala and his team will visit Parun and Wama and if the distance to travel for the beneficiaries will be more than 1 hour, the Hawala will travel to those villages. The distribution will be done based on the signed lists and/or tokens issued to the selected beneficiaries by the BSC, phone numbers will be collected in order to reference and NIDs checked. The Covid-19 prevention kits will be conditional to encourage partitioning Covid-19 and Protection awareness-raising sessions. Key people of each village participate in community dialogues in order to discuss protection issues. Due to the short project duration information will be shared about other services available within the area to enable women to potentially get in touch with support services.