Winterization Assistance for conflict and natural disaster-affected families in Kabul Province After 40 years of continued crisis, Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most complex humanitarian emergencies, driven by escalating conflict and natural disasters. These shocks and disruptions have depleted the resilience of displaced, host, and natural disaster-affected populations. Conflict and disasters have led to significant internal displacement for many years in Afghanistan, and the country currently counts 2,598,000 IDPs displaced by conflict and violence across all its 34 provinces (Emergency Shelter and NFI Cluster Winterisation Strategy 2020). Displaced and vulnerable families struggle to meet their basic needs including shelter and winterisation items that would protected them from exposure to the elements. In addition to exposure to extremely cold temperatures, the winter season brings rise in respiratory infection outbreaks. Trends from previous years (2015-2018) show that there is a 43% increase in respiratory infection and hospital admissions from hypothermia from November to February in comparison to the yearly average. The mortality rate from respiratory infections especially in children under five proportionally increases in the winter months in Afghanistan. In many cases, extreme cold not only ensued death to exposed populations but also resulted in 11.2% of admissions undergoing limb amputation.

Data provided by iMMAP puts Kabul at high risk due to its altitude and the precipitations that have been experienced over the years. Each year, freezing winter temperatures in Kabul ranges from -1 °C (30 °F), usually with freezing nights with peaks of -20/-25 °C (-4/-13 °F). Snowfalls are fairly frequent and heavy.

The Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) 5th Standard Allocation was launched, inter alia, to address shelter needs of displaced populations, particularly in regards to winterization, which remains a major concern.  Given sustained levels of conflict and displacements, the potential for further natural disasters, and the resulting vulnerability of affected populations, given its altitude and population in need, Kabul was prioritized and categorized among the provinces with the highest needs consideration during winter.

Leading to the development of this proposal, NRC carried out various assessments February 2020 Kabul shelter needs assessment September 2020 Kabul winterization needs assessment September 2020 Kabul Market assessment 
 and September 2020 NRC winterization lessons learnt. These assessments have informed the formulation of this proposal that seeks to provide winterization assistance –  solid fuel and heating devices and personal insulation winter clothing and blankets.  

With this project NRC will provide assistance to 1,500 vulnerable families (host community, returnees and IDPs) effective reaching out to 10,500 conflict and natural disaster-displaced men, women, boys, and girls in Kabul (PD6, PD8, and PD21) receive winterization assistance, comprising heating solutions and clothing wear.  Beneficiary selection will follow laid down beneficiary selection criteria and guidelines agreeable to the community. The assistance will be provided through cash disbursements. The proposed project will target conflict and/ or natural disaster-induced displaced communities in Kabul province (PD6, PD8, and PD21) for winterization support through a standard package for heating/ fuel and clothing that meet cluster specifications, for displacement-affected households. The project will be directly implemented by NRC.

NRC will evaluate risks associated with the project and prepare a robust mitigation strategy to curb the same.  

As part of the exit and sustainability strategy, NRC will work with the identified beneficiaries’ caseload, and identify their social, economic and technical needs and design a response that encompasses and articulates their needs. This will allow, whenever possible, for the community to pull resources from within their ranks and support each other.