Enhance income generation potential of vulnerable men and women to address the protracted humanitarian crisis in south Gaza Strip This project (OPT-16/F/88226) will target vulnerable families in Rafah, Deir Albalah and Khan Yunis governorates. Households will be characterized according to vulnerability the work undertaken by OCHA on vulnerability mapping will be taken into consideration.  Selected families identified as lower vulnerability (who had a previous agricultural enterprise prior to the 2014 conflict) will be supported under activity 1 (regeneration of livelihood enterprises) medium vulnerability female headed families will be supported under activity 2 (Income Generating Activities) and higher vulnerability families who do not meet the criteria for Income Generating Activities will be supported under activity 3 (Cash for Work).  It Even though three levels of vulnerability are described, all selected households are considered vulnerable. 

The beneficiary vulnerability groups are dis-aggregated into:  (1) Low vulnerability (high resilience) –  good capacity to cope with external stresses (2) Medium vulnerability (medium resilience) –  limited capacity to cope with external stresses and (3) High vulnerability (low resilience) – beneficiaries who have very limited capacity to cope with external stresses.  The assessment of vulnerability will be undertaken through a questionnaire to be completed by potential beneficiaries.  The questions are related to Socio-economic vulnerability, assets amp ownership and protection,  Each of the sectors are weighted to capture the relative importance of each sector.  In the case of vulnerability, a number of parameters are examined - including:  size of family, age distribution in family, disabled family member, number of working family members, range and value of income sources, and degree of debt for food purchases.  Refer to annex 1_vulnerabilibility.

The project aims to restore livelihoods for vulnerable families who were economically active prior to the conflict,  who are no longer able to implement their livelihoods activities.  Reactivation of agricultural production livelihoods and rehabilitation of a damaged common irrigation infrastructure for distribution of treated wastewater for irrigation of trees only (as described under activity 1) will address the limited access to sufficient food of good quality in the targeted area, and increase the disposable income of target families.  Attention will also be paid to vulnerable families who are unable to meet the criteria for livelihood reactivation who will be supported, either through a conditional cash transfer – a proportion of which will be allocated to establishment of Income Generating Activities (as described under activity 2)  – or assistance provided through a Cash for Work programme (as described under activity 3).  

It is acknowledged that the selected beneficiaries will use a proportion of the cash injection for debt repayment this is considered in the first Tranche payment.  Further Tranche payments will be conditional, linked with training attendance and initial IGA implementation.  The project will be guided by principles of inclusiveness, participation and will build the capacity of beneficiaries during programme implementation, and embody appropriate targeting to ensure women and men have access to project resources and benefits.   ACF has significant experience of implementing Income Generating Activity (IGA) interventions in its missions worldwide.  This experience has been captured in a publication from their Scientific and Technical Department Field Handbook series entitled “Income Generating Activities:  A key concept in sustainable food security” (Refer to Annex 4 and 5) this knowledge will be incorporated into the proposed Action.  The approach of establishing or re-establishment Income Generating Activities linked with an emergency Cash Based Intervention will allow beneficiaries to cover their immediate needs, and encourage them to identify IGA enterprises leading to establishment of an additional income source.