Provide lifesaving WASH and nutrition assistance in areas of return and to drought-affected communities ltpgtOn 3 October 2023, the Government of Pakistan announced the “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan” (IFRP).nbspThe implications of this announcement are considerable. Most returnees from Pakistan relocated to Afghanistan’s Eastern, North-Eastern, Central and Southern regions merging within the existing community majority of whom are already with dire humanitarian needs, including lack of access to safe drinking water and lifesaving nutrition services.lt/pgtltpgtltbrgtAdditionally, Afghanistan also experiences climate change related conditions. Twenty-five out of 34 provinces are experiencing drought-like conditions and 67 per cent of households reporting difficulty in accessing water (HNRP 2024). The protection of vulnerable groups, especially women, children who are the primarily responsible member of the families in fetching water for domestic use and those living with disabilities, remains paramount.lt/pgtltpgtGiven the scale of the needs and the deterioration of the water table,nbsponly the improvement of existing systems will make it possible to revitalize access to drinking water.nbspThe exact number of water points to be rehabilitated in each district is not yet defined (a thorough assessment will be conducted upon the project start). However, as a reference point, a water supply system benefits around 1,800 people per target location. In this case, 1,800 X 5 = 9,000 beneficiaries.ltbrgtlt/pgtltpgtThe project equallynbspaims to address criticalnbspWASH need of aroundnbsp38,885  people in the areas of return and those living in vulnerable conditions in drought-affected provinces, which are also at risk of Acute Water Diarrhea (AWD)/Cholera and outbreaks of other communicable diseases. The project will primarily focus on provision of WASH services in Nangarhar, Kabul, Kandahar, Badghis, Jawzjan and Kunduznbspprovinces (exact districts available under the 'locations' tab)ltspangt.lt/spangtlt/pgtltpgtFor the Nutrition component, UNICEF will focus onnbspscale up delivery of humanitarian assistance in areas of return focusing on community-based response in underserved areas with high rate of returnees. To promptly meet the needs of children aged 6 - 59 months in the target locations, UNICEF will deliver treatment services to identify, refer and treat children 6-59 months with SAM in the areas of return and provide lifesaving assistance to drought affected communities to minimize potential displacements by focusing on areas where the risk of drought persists. This includes provision of SAM treatment services to children 6-59 months as well as procurement and distribution ofnbspmultiple micronutrient powdesr (MNPs)nbspandnbspMaternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN)nbspcounselling in thenbsptargeted districts based on the urgent needsnbspfrom the existingnbspHealthnbspFacilities (HFs).nbsplt/pgtltpgtltspangtltbrgtlt/spangtlt/pgtltpgtltspangtUNICEF will lt/spangtltspangtsupport Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) treatment services by providing nutrition supplies (Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTFs) - from other funding sources to all type of existing HFslt/spangtltspangt in the targeted districts - no new HFs will be added/targeted through this funding.lt/spangtlt/pgtltpgtnbsp ltbrgtFurthermore, UNICEF will recruit additional staff at facility and community levels to screen and refer SAM cases to nearest facility for treatment in the existing HFs.nbspThe 2024 ICCT identified 17 districts across 7 provinces. UNICEF targets 11 districts in (Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, and Kandahar) as the areas of return with high needs of urgent nutrition interventions for the returnee’s influx in the country as the priority I. In addition, the second priority areas for drought response include 12 districts in 5 provinces where UNICEF targets 10 districts in (Kunduz, Jawzjan and Badghis) provinces. UNICEF will use other funding sources to ensure sufficient availability of RUTF suppliesnbspto provide life-saving treatment to all children under five suffering from SAM, provide trainings on IMAM for health workers and conduct monitoring field visits in the existing HFs.ltbrgtlt/pgt