Responding to Emergency WASH needs of IDPs and Vulnerable Host Communities in Nangarhar Province Based on the Rapid Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) assessment conducted in February 2022, targeting the urgent and unmet WASH needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and underserved host communities in Nangarhar, the Surkhrod and Chaparhar districts are identified as areas with the most affected and vulnerable communities, where IDPs and returnees are living in difficult circumstances with the majority not having access to sufficient quantities of safe drinking water, practising open defecation (OD) due to lack of suitable sanitation facilities, and have little or no knowledge of proper hygiene practices. The intervention also aligns with the WASH cluster response plan in the revised HRP 2021, where Nangarhar province is critical WASH needs and have limited access to WASH services. When beginning the project activities, NCA will cross-check the absence of overlap with other organizations in order to avoid duplication of activities in targeted locations. 
NCA's six-month WASH program will provide critical WASH services to the conflict, and drought-affected population, IDPs and underserved host communities in Surkhrod and Chaparhar Districts of Nangarhar province. The response will target Dawlatzai, Salozai, Qaratak, and Guldara communities in Chaparhar, and Tatang Kala Shahi and Bar Kakrak communities in Surkhrod district. The intervention will reach 25,820 IDPs (Men 9,218, Women 9,489 Boys 3,163 and Girls 3,950) and vulnerable host communities in the targeted locations. The proposed intervention aims to: 1) improve access of beneficiaries to a safe water supply 2) focus on influencing a change in sanitation behaviour through CLTS approaches and community participation resulting in the reduction of open defecation in target communities and 3) promote safe hygiene practices through proper handwashing. 
NCA and its partner will undertake WASH activities, including the construction of solar-powered pipe schemes, rehabilitation and maintenance of existing dysfunctional wells and water and sanitation systems (at two health centres and four public schools), water quality testing and the establishment and or support capacity of existing WASH Committees and authorities to operate, repair and manage water structures. Simultaneously, new wells will be established in areas where no other sources of water sources are available. The project will also include a robust capacity-building component for local authorities, IDP and host community members, and NCA and partner staff, involving training and support to undertake their WASH activities effectively. Hygiene Promoters will be engaged and supported to undertake hygiene promotion practices leading to health risk reduction. Hygiene sessions will focus on preventing diarrhea, discouraging open defecation, proper household waste management, wash handing with soap and water, menstrual hygiene, and household level water treatment. 
Two thousand families will receive vouchers for hygiene kits. Considering that the targeted people visit the local market regularly and they buy most of their goods from the local market we assume that the voucher assistance is the appropriate option. Each of the selected HH will receive a commodity voucher for Hygiene kit as per the WASH Cluster standard, which they will redeem with the supplier assigned in each of the targeted locations. Each of the selected HH will receive voucher for Hygiene kit once throughout the whole project. 
The targeted communities will be mobilised through (CLTS) to eliminate open defecation. Target communities will be trained to conduct OD analysis, take corrective action, In the meantime, latrines will be rehabilitated or constructed in two health hospitals and 4 public schools to increase access to adequate sanitation facilities. 
This application is in partnership with NCA local NGO partner under NCA civil society strengthening strategy that aims to enhance the capacity of national civil society orgs.