Food security and livelihood support for Pakistan returnees and conflicted affected households in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces. Relief International (RI) proposes a life-saving intervention that will provide support to the most vulnerable of the 130,000 undocumented Afghans that have been forced out of Pakistan as a result of changing political dynamics. RI’s program will provide undocumented returnees in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, two of the Afghan provinces with the highest number of returnees, with emergency food assistance, in cash, or in-kind support. RI will undertake an initial rapid assessment, using the humanitarian country team approved household emergency assessment (HEAT) tool, in the districts of Behsud, Jalalabad, Batikot, Rodat, Surkhrod in Nangarhar province and Chawky, Narang, Watapur, Khaskunar and Sarkani in Kunar province. RI will also convene gender segregated focus group discussions to ensure understanding of gender specific needs. In total it is expected that emergency food assistance will be provided to 1,304 households, covering approximately 9,128 individuals. Beneficiary numbers are based on IOM figures for undocumented returnees. The food baskets will allow households to survive for two months based on the food security clusters (FSAC) guidance and Sphere standards of 2,100 calories per person per day. RI will follow this immediate food assistance with targeted medium-term livelihood support, in the form of livestock and agricultural input kits for 40% of beneficiaries, in total 522 households. The provision of livestock and agricultural kits were recommended by the FSAC cluster to RI in an email (uploaded), the kits provided will be in line with FSAC guidelines (uploaded). The livestock kits will allow families to protect vital livestock assets, which may be the only assets they were able to bring with them from Pakistan. RI has extensive animal health programming on both sides of the border (in Khyber Pakhtunkwha, Pakistan and in Nangarhar and Kunar, Afghanistan), and is ready to link returnees with existing animal health service providers. Currently RI is building the capacity of the animal health service providers, and to increase their reach and effectiveness. Households that have land in their districts of return (and can prove to RI they have access to this land) will receive agriculture kits that will nominally allow them to replant in the new season. 
Coordination - RI has been in contact with WFP on the targeting of beneficiaries for this program, and WFP will also be providing food assistance in the same districts, but they have confirmed there is still a gap in assistance, as they cannot reach all those in need of emergency food assistance. RI will cover some of the remaining gap, and other FSAC clusters are also expected to provide support. RI is committed to ongoing coordination with WFP. NRC, the other main humanitarian responder in the target provinces, is expected to supply shelter, reducing risk of duplication. RI will coordinate the proposed response with IOM to ensure there is no duplication. The decision for cash/in-kind support will be determined by a market assessment at project inception, though RI expects, from previous market assessments in the province that markets are functioning and cash will be the most appropriate modality. RI is a member of the cash voucher working group and have consulted them on this approach. Beneficiary selection criteria will be in line with the FSAC guidelines, and will target the most vulnerable households.