SE Flooding Response: Rehabilitation and Provisions for Damaged Schools, Shelter, NFIs and Infrastructures This project is to be conducted as a response to the floods in the South-East Region in the Kayin State, Mon State and Tanintharyi region. It will respond to the shelter and infrastructure needs that arise out of the damages caused by the floods. Where markets are functioning, cash/vouchers will be provided to affected households so that they can procure basic household items and shelter materials to repair damaged shelters in accordance with the SPHERE minimum standards. If markets are not available or if there is an increase in prices due to inflation, in kind materials will be provided.

NRC will provide household NFI kits, (or the equivalent cash grant where this is deemed most appropriate) to vulnerable, under-served households across Kayin State, Mon State and Tanintharyi Region. Cash grants will be prioritised both for the NFI and the shelter kits. We will assess the markets and consult the community to choose the most appropriate approach. NRC will try to uphold the Government of Myanmar's stipulation that at least 50% of emergency assistance must be in the form of cash. The household NFI Kits   (or equivalent cash amount) will contain immediate life-saving items including: clothes, buckets with lids (for water purification and storage), mosquito nets, body soap, laundry soap, mats, tooth paste and toothbrushes, blankets, sanitary pads, nails, wire ropes, a hammer and saw (for repairing shelter where possible). NRC is already well placed in these areas and knows the context well. NRC has been conducting emergency response operations to the floods in the South East under various grants since July 2018. Due to this recent, first-hand experience, it is in a good position to receive accurate updates on the situation. Additions and changes to the kits have been based on feedback from initial distributions. NRC will try to give cash assistance to affected households where appropriate but some initial assessments have indicated that massive inflation of prices for food and basic items is wide-spread where markets are operating. In these cases, NRC will provide NFIs.

NRC will support the rehabilitation of community infrastructure as well, focusing on foot timber bridge, pipe culverts and drainages. The intended effect of rehabilitating the community infrastructure in this way is also to provide a longer term resilience to future flooding. The Community Based Organisation (CBO) approach will be used in these activities to support the local communities and to stimulate the local economy.

In addition, the project aims to rehabilitate and provide furniture  (desks, chairs, and classroom items) to formal schools. Of these schools, four buildings including toilets, will be rehabilitated. These school repairs will also be implemented using the CBO (Community Based Organization) approach. Community skilled and non-skilled workers will implement the rehabilitation works, using the Cash for Work approach, and therefore benefiting from a daily income. This activity is in-line with the strategic goals of NRC's education programming in the target area. It designed specifically for improving the learning environment which has been damaged due to flooding and to provide conducive and safe learning spaces, thus contributing to the overall quality of learning in the target communities. It takes into consideration the gender differential in access to education. The damage of schools by floods in August 2018 justifies the need for intervention and response to rehabilitate schools in the SE. Furthermore, children and teachers in eight schools will received student kits and teachers' kits to enhance teaching and learning processes and the intervention will be based on a building back better principle.

With the help of its implementing partner, People in Need (PIN), NRC will be able to reach other communities affected by the floods.