Addressing the Urgent Reproductive Health Needs in the Areas of Return and Vulnerable People in Drought Prone Areas ltpgtltbrgtThis project intends to provide reproductive health supplies to health facilities to respond to the immediate lifesaving maternal reproductive health needs of people moving to areas of Return and those in areas prone to drought. This project would support UNFPA’s contribution toward the Health Cluster’s key priorities, specifically to “provide medical supplies, kits and equipment” (Activity 3). According to the Border Consortium, about 800,000 Afghan returnees are expected to return to Afghanistan by the end of August 2024. About 25 per cent of the returnees are estimated to be women of reproductive age whose vulnerability and need for reproductive health services will be critical. In addition, seasonal patterns of drought, exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, are increasing the vulnerability of people living in drought-prone areas. The impact of drought on women and men is severe with the most prominent of which being on women's health status (due to nutritional deficiencies) and men having to travel to neighboring provinces and countries in search of cheap daily wages. Moreover, drought could displace families which may  result in an increase of Gender-Based Violence and exploitation. as well as impact women’s livelihoods. ltbrgtThis project intends to focus on efforts to provide support to these priority populations. ltbrgtAbout 25 percent of the population of Afghanistan do not have access to primary healthcare services. Populations in areas of Return, internally displaced persons (IDPs), remote host communities and those living in drought-prone areas are some of the most vulnerable populations and often those with least access to essential health services including lifesaving reproductive health and gender-based violence/psychosocial support.ltbrgtInsufficient lifesaving reproductive health supplies at the service delivery points that serve these vulnerable populations is a critical issue. Under this project, UNFPA intends to address the shortages of supplies of health facilities through the procurement and distribution of essential supplies to support the  provision of quality emergency obstetric, reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health care services. The project will focus on the provinces of Nangarhar, Kunduz, Kabul, Kandahar, Jowzjan, Baghlan, Badghis and Laghman, extending on the support provided under the AHF 1st Reserve Allocation Strategy of 2024.ltbrgtThe project will benefit 64,432 individuals (49,927 women [including 5,577 pregnant women], 3,230 men,1,937 boys, and 9,338 girls over a period of one year.  ltbrgtThe proposed target health facilities (1 national, 1 regional, 3 provincial, 4 district hospitals, 2 Basic Health Centers [BHCs], 17 Comprehensive Health Center [CHC] and one CHC+)  have been selected as their current services are overwhelmed due to increased demand for sexual and reproductive health services and the facilities’ low capacity for service delivery. In addition, the nine target provinces (Kandahar, Nangarhar, Kabul, Jowzjan, Laghman, Baghlan, Kunduz, Badghis and Balkh)  are home to high concentrations of IDPs which has further overstretched the already overburdened capacity of health facilities. An excel sheet indicating type and location of the health facilities has been uploaded as Annex 1.ltbrgtlt/pgt