Integrated water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) assistance to vulnerable migrant populations in urban and hard to reach (HTR) areas in Afghanistan IOM’s proposed project is in alignment with the priorities of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund’s 1st Standard Allocation 2021 Strategy Paper (“the Strategy”), the Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2018-2021 and the Afghanistan Flash Appeal Immediate Humanitarian Response Needs September – December 2021 (“the Flash Appeal”). In total it aims to reach 51,750 persons with WASH services. 

IOM has conducted KAP (157 HH surveyed) and Water Point/Source (674 locations) assessments in November and December 2021 in Herat, Nangarhar and Kabul. 
To address a portion of the WASH needs assessed, in collaboration and coordination with other WASH Cluster members, community members and leaders, as well as local representative, IOM proposes the following:
- Rehabilitation of water supply systems with a focus on repair/reconditioning/upgrade of handpumps and protection of existing hand-dug wells, to restore urban and hard to reach populations’ ability to access safe, affordable and sustainable sources of water. This activity will be guided by exhaustive assessments of the water systems to determine cost-effectiveness and value for money of the interventions. Linked to AHF WASH Activity 2, Theme 1, targeting 6750 households in Herat and Nangarhar provinces identified through the completion of assessments and in coordination with actors working in the province, to confirm a lack of duplication and collaboration through the exchange of data.

- Upgrade WASH services, and clean and disinfect water supply wells/boreholes in AWD/cholera hotspot locations in public spaces (markets, gathering events) and institutions (health facilities, schools), coupled with provision of hand hygiene infrastructure and risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) messaging on infection, prevention and control (IPC) for AWD/cholera and COVID-19. Linked to AHF WASH Activity 11, Theme 3, and Activity 15, Theme 3, targeting 643 households in Kabul province based on current AWD/cholera outbreak.

- Support improved hygiene practices through provision of hand hygiene infrastructure and hygiene kits (inclusive of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) items). The distributions will be combined with hygiene promotion activities to reduce the risk of transmittable diseases, including cholera/AWD and COVID-19. Linked to AHF WASH Activity 6, Theme 1, and Activity 16, Theme 3, targeting 1429 households in Herat and Nangarhar provinces, based on high WASH needs and limited WASH partner presence. 

- Ensure the long-term sustainability of interventions through the procurement and pre-positioning of WASH supplies to enable ongoing water supply rehabilitation and provision of WASH items. Linked to AHF WASH Activity 19, Theme 3, and expanding IOM’s current core pipeline coverage in Kabul, to Nangarhar and Herat provinces, to anticipate future WASH needs. Additionally, replenishment of the WASH core pipeline will be coordinated with UNICEF and DACAAR to establish the most appropriate prepositioning ratios across the country with consideration of WASH Cluster member activities and population needs. 

IOM intends to conduct these activities across the three identified provinces (Kabul, Herat and Nangarhar), due to their high WASH needs, and, in the case of Herat and Nangarhar, limited WASH partner presence. However, the project has the potential to scale-up to other provinces identified by the WASH Cluster as having WASH service gaps and high WASH needs such as Badghis in the West, Balkin in the North and/or Paktika in the South East. See Annex for a full breakdown of target locations, beneficiaries, and correlating activity descriptions, including potential expansion provinces and targets.

AHF Activities 5, 6, 15 and 16 are also in direct correlation with those already undertaken by IOM in the health sector, which will allow for improved communication and data collection, as well as encourage a multi-sector response to address holistic public health needs.