Stock Prepositioning, Emergency Shelter, and Winterization Support for Conflict and Natural Disaster Affected Families in Northeastern Afghanistan Driven by escalating conflict and recurring natural disasters, Afghanistan has seen the number of people in need nearly double in comparison to last year, newly displacing more than 550,000 civilians. In the Northeast, Badakhshan and Takhar provinces have been deeply impacted by increasingly severe natural hazards increased displacement attributed to conflict, and heightened food insecurity. These provinces have pockets of extreme poverty and vulnerability, with limited capacity to withstand the impact of repeated conflict-related and natural disasters including floods, flash floods, landslides and drought. Loss of lives and the destruction of properties has been further aggravated by armed conflict, resulting in sizeable numbers of displacement since the beginning of 2019, particularly in Takhar Province. Winters in the Northeast are severe, as Badakhshan and Takhar are highly mountainous provinces with long-lasting winters, heavy snowfall, and freezing temperatures, which in the heart of winter, can plummet to a negative 35 degrees Celsius. During these months, communities often lose access to roads and markets, further exacerbating needs. For displaced families particularly, the winter months are compounded with extreme poverty and a lack of assets. Without basic non-food items, fuel and cash assistance, vulnerable populations are unprepared for the harsh weather, with hypothermia among other illnesses posing a major threat. Women and children are particularly vulnerable during the winter months, and are more at risk of illness due to lack of proper insulation and heating. Additionally, due to funding limitations, UNHCR has announced that they will not be supporting Badakhshan and Takhar with winterization packages in 2019. This creates an evident gap in preparing vulnerable populations in the Northeast for the harsh winter climate. 

Given the escalating security situation in the Northeast and the cyclical and recurring nature of various environmental hazards, Concern is anticipating a significant increase in displacement across Badakhshan and Takhar provinces within the upcoming year. Additionally, both provinces have non-displaced communities that often express real winterization needs due to lack of preparedness. Displaced households and returnees have very limited capacity to cope with the onset of winter, with many families residing in inadequate and often overcrowded forms of shelter. Thus, there is a substantial need for winterisation support for IDPs that will remain at displacement sites, as well as those who have returned to their place of origin and some non-displaced communities. There is a particular need to target women, children and the disabled to provide winterization and NFI support for the winter months. Concern is prepared to expand its current humanitarian response in the region to meet the rising winterization needs and believes that it can target half of the total IDP population from 2019 as the projected target number for the next 12 months, targeting 350 households in Badakhshan and 1,300 households in Takhar. Concern is proposing humanitarian assistance involving the rapid provision of winterization support to address emergency shelter needs. Such services will ensure life-saving protection and assistance needs are met in Takhar and Badakshan. Concern will provide NFI support , winterization support ,), to respond to the ES/NFI needs of 9,100 conflict and natural disaster affected beneficiaries in Takhar and Badakhshan provinces.