Winterization Assistance for Vulnerable Households in Ferozkoh The Allocation Strategy Paper for the 3rd Reserve Allocation of 2022 details a complex set of needs among vulnerable populations. Drought, political instability, and COVID-19 have led to widespread illness and mortality and starkly reduced income opportunities, depleting households’ productive assets and reducing their capacity to cope with shocks and prepare for the winter. The latest IPC data highlighted widespread food insecurity (Phase 4) in Ghor, including Ferozkoh district, and projections for the coming months show a similar scenario. Recent needs assessment data shows that vulnerable households in Ferozkoh need urgent assistance to cover their basic needs during the winter season.

In line with ESNFI cluster priorities for this allocation, Afghanaid proposes to provide crucial assistance to a total of 1,639 vulnerable households in Ferozkoh district of Ghor, which experiences harsh winter and has been noted as one of the priority districts in the ICCT Winter Prioritisation Plan for 2022. Based on community preferences and a market assessment conducted in September 2022, Afghanaid proposes cash as the modality for the heating, blankets and clothing assistance. Afghanaid will conduct continued market monitoring during implementation and may change the assistance modality to (partly) in-kind assistance where market functioning and access decline.

The intervention will provide 1639 households with a ESNFI cluster standard cash for heating package with a value of US$200 per household and cash for clothes (US$74 per household). Further, the 1218 most vulnerable households (out of these 1639 households) will receive complementary assistance of cash for clothing (US$57 per household). 

The assistance will in principle be delivered as cash in hand in two tranches where communities are likely to be cut off from markets due to heavy snowfall, Afghanaid may provide households with a larger amount of assistance upfront to allow them to bulk buy the items they need ahead of the peak winter months. Participants will be sensitized on the importance of spending their assistance on their winterization needs, and may be directed to purchase a heater where there households does not already own one. Project staff will consult the communities on any anticipated protection risks. We will work with an experienced and well-established Saraf (Hawala agent) to distribute the cash to the targeted participants. 

Participants will be selected using ESNFI vulnerability criteria to ensure that households in most acute need are targeted, including women-headed households, households with a large number of dependents, and households with one or more member with a disability. 

Afghanaid is well placed to implement this project, with over 20 years of continuous presence in Ghor. Afghanaid has extensive humanitarian programming experience, with current and recent humanitarian projects in provinces including Ghor, funded by AHF, WFP and FAO. Afghanaid has approval from local authorities to deliver its programmes in the target areas, and will actively engage local IEA actors to explain that the project can only proceed if authorities do not interfere in participant selection and permit us to employ and target women.

This intervention is expected to provide 1,639 vulnerable households (11,473 men, women, boys and girls) with crucial winterisation assistance, prevent illness and mortality, and increase participants’ capacity to rebuild their livelihoods by avoiding the sale of productive assets, boosting resilience against future shocks.