Health and nutrition support for vulnerable people residing in the return areas of Kabul ltpgtThe proposed intervention aims to address the urgent humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable and underserved populations in Kabul Province, specifically in Shina, Kamari, and Pulecharkhi. The recent increase in Afghan returnees from Pakistan is putting a strain on the healthcare system, particularly in remote and underserved areas with limited access to basic healthcare services. With over 700,000 registered refugees returning in 2023 alone, communities are facing significant challenges in accessing essential services. The surge in Afghan returnees from Pakistan has exacerbated pressure on the healthcare infrastructure, especially in underserved regions where access to fundamental healthcare services is limited. The influx of more than 700,000 registered refugees in 2023 alone has significantly strained these communities, heightening their struggle to obtain crucial services. From a rapid assessment carried out by INTERSOS, the average presence of returnees and IDPs in the communities is around 13%. To address the identified needs, INTERSOS has designed a health and nutrition intervention geared towards enhancing the resilience of both returnees and communities residing in white areas. The initiative targets a total of 48003 direct beneficiaries (without double counting), including 13537 women, 15265 girls, 8305 men, 10897 boys, and 7200 people with disabilities, with an additional 102687 indirect beneficiaries. INTERSOS strategy revolves around strengthening access to comprehensive basic healthcare services and integrating nutrition and MHPSS services. This involves the establishment of support in three key health facilities (1 Comprehensive Health care level Center at Kamari and 2 basic health care centers in Shina and Pulecharki). The CHC will be supported to meet the needs of the 52000 individuals (host communities and returnees) within the catchment of Kamari (in Bagrami distirct of Kabul). The 2 BHCs (in Shina and Kamari) will be enhanced with additional staffing (one nurse) within the guideline of the BPHS to meet the workload due to the high catchment population (25,000 and 24, 000 respectively). Priority areas of focus include reproductive health, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and the management of non-communicable diseases. To ensure the effectiveness of healthcare delivery, INTERSOS will implement capacity-building initiatives for healthcare workers, including specialized training and the reinforcement of infectious disease outbreak preparedness response protocols. Within the health facilities, particular attention will be given to the nutrition component, through screening children under five years old for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) or moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), with or without complications. Identified cases will be promptly referred to the nearest facility capable of providing appropriate assistance. Moreover, INTERSOS will conduct targeted awareness campaigns among beneficiaries, emphasizing the importance of adopting health and hygiene practices to prevent the transmission of respiratory infections and other communicable diseases. Activities, such as health and nutrition awareness campaigns, will specifically include people with disabilities at the health facility (HF) level. These campaigns will be supported by CSMs using brochures with pictorial messages at the community level to ensure comprehensive reach and engagement. Moreover, INTERSOS will conduct a Rapid SEA Risk Assessment.  INTERSOS will conduct a thorough and timely assessment of risks associated with sexual exploitation and abuse with the support of the PSEA WG. By addressing immediate healthcare needs and fostering community resilience, INTERSOS endeavors to mitigate the impact of population growth due to the settlement of returnees in the focus areas that further stress the already weak healthcare system creating additional health challenges for vulnerable populations in Kabul.ltbrgtlt/pgt