Protecting and diversifying rural livelihoods of extreme vulnerable households to improve their resilience and give chance to live in dignity, Maydan Wardak Province Afghanistan is facing a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe. Over 24 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance (HNO 2022), with over half of these being children (over 3 million of them acutely malnourished). Around 22.8 million people have reached acute levels of food insecurity IPC3 and IPC4, and over 62% of the population are facing borderline (44.6%) or poor (18%) food consumption scores (SFSA 2021). Marginalized and highly vulnerable communities in Maydan Wardak province have been particularly affected (SFSA 2021, PIN 2022). In order to respond the needs of IPC 3 and 4 agricultural households in rural areas of Saydabad and Jaghatu districts of Maydan Wardak PIN has designed an intervention aimed at 40,670 individuals in building their resilience, mitigate risks from current crisis, improve their shock resistance, protect their livelihoods assets and prevent their livelihoods from collapsing. 

Firstly, PIN will provide to 2,400 households (16,800 individuals) in-kind livestock packages (equal to 95 USD): 1,680 households (11,760 individuals) in Jaghatu district and 720households (5,040individuals) in Sayadabad district. Livestock packages consists of 100 kg animal feed, 200kg straw, 2 liters of de-wormer and transportation costs per package as per FSAC standards. Distributions will be complemented with two sets of technical trainings on animal health, feeding practices d drought mitigation measures to increase the benefits and efficiency of the provided assistance. PIN will also organize a deworming campaign, with the support of existing network of community based veterinary services in the targeted areas. The campaign will treat beneficiary households’ small and large ruminants from the liver fluke, small intestine worms, large intestine worms, lung worms etc. It is estimated that that 10,000 animals will be treated. Through this assistance, households will be able maintain their livestock, mitigate distress sell, ensuring the health of their most valuable and/or remaining animals (breeding stock) by stabilizing the animals’ body weight, ensuring survival rations of feed compensating for the degraded pasture land, and reduce the pressure on households’ budget. 

Secondly, PIN will equip 44,000 extremely vulnerable rural households (28,000 individuals) with vegetable kits (in the value of 50 USD): 1,200 households (8,400individuals) in Jaghatu district and 2,800 households (19,600individuals) in Sayadabad districts.. Kits are aligned will FSAC standards and will consist of 1 kg of seasonal vegetable seeds (4 different types per 250 grams such as eggplant, beans, okra, onion, cucumber, carrots, pepper and spinach) and necessary basic tool equipment such as spade, hoe and rake. Kitchen gardening introduces an alternative source of income and increases the nutritious diversity of households’ meals. Distribution of vegetable kits provided will be complemented with trainings, especially focusing on women, so as to maximize the impact of these activities. Trainings will effective crop protection and horticultural production, nutritional diversity, and storing/packaging. Vegetable kits will enable rural households to diversify their agricultural production, and engage women to grow nutritious products, diversify their agricultural production, and also diversify and improve their current food intake and food consumption. 

It is estimated that approximately 13,440 people will receive both livestock packages and agriculture kits, resulting in 31,360 people assisted by the project without double counting.