Provision of integrated WASH, Shelter, and Protection assistance to vulnerable people living in hard-to-reach areas in Rakhine The proposed project aims to provide integrated assistance to people in need in hard-to-reach and underserved conflict-affected areas of Mrauk U and Kyuaktaw, Rakhine State.   Under this Action, DRC will provide an integrated response focused on identifying and mitigating protection threats and risks, as well as providing humanitarian support to communities and individuals in needs of WASH and Shelter assistance. It is fully aligned to the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2022 and MHFs objectives as it focuses on the provision of life-saving assistance (WASH and Shelter) and protection for the most vulnerable crisis-affected women, men, boys, and girls.   According to the 2020 Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) report women make up 53% of those in need in Rakhine state and therefore the majority target population of the project is women. Additionally, project targeting criteria is based on numerous relevant needs assessments and project risk analysis’ that evidence women are at greater risk of experiencing protection violations, unsafe living conditions, and basic needs restrictions, and therefore the project will target predominately women of varying diversities (including but not limited to female-headed households, women within households with a large number of children, female community leaders and other relevant female representatives within WASH committees, women at risk of trafficking/experiencing increased restrictions on movement/restricted access to basic needs). The project objectives will be achieved in partnership with two local partners, People for People (PfP) and MEET.   
Critical WASH needs will be addressed across 13 displacement sites in Mrauk U and two villages in Kyuaktaw, aimed at improving the access to safe sanitation facilities, increased availability of safe water, provision of critical hygiene items, and increased knowledge of good hygiene practices. Assistance will be provided in consultation with the targeted communities, as well as through the setup of mechanisms to ensure continuous management and support, including community WASH committees. The DRC WASH team engages with the person with disabilities at the beginning of the project such as inviting at the project induction session with the community, mass meeting, and WASH infrastructure design induction session to listen to their voices and to get their suggestions.  DRC values and adapts and implements their ideas in the projects. Additionally, the DRC WASH team prioritizes to distribute hygiene or NFI kits to persons with disabilities, elderly and pregnant women first and ensures they are included in conducting the WASH access, satisfaction, KAP and PDM surveys. 
Access to safe and secure shelters remains a major concern, whereby the project will target three locations to construct shelters Kyauk Rit Kay and Htan Ma Rit(Yeik) IDP site in Mrauk U and Nyaung Chaung IDP site in Kyauktaw township, the latter with the support of partner PfP. DRC shelter activities will focus on the construction of shelters to provide adequate protection,     security, privacy, and dignity, along with prepositioning of emergency shelter kits distribution to families whether unforeseen crises happening in Rakhine. DRC's shelter design is for the entire family_ husband and wife, and children who can live in a privately owned shelter in a secure environment. Instead of living in a public hall or temporary makeshifts, they can live in DRC's shelters with increased privacy and reduced protection risk.
DRC will implement three key protection interventions to monitor and strengthen the protective environment. DRC will conduct protection monitoring, which allows for an in-depth understanding of protection risks, facilitates evidence-based advocacy efforts to address risks, and allows DRC and others to tailor programming to alleviate concerns and address human rights violations. DRC will also provide Protection Case Management (PCM) services to individuals at risk of