Responding to emergency ES-NFI needs related to Spring 2021 natural disasters and conflict affected people in Faryab, Ghor, Samangan and Takhar provinces Through this project, ACTED will provide emergency ESNFI assistance to 1,150 families (8,050 beneficiaries) displaced and/or affected following a natural disasters and/or conflict during Spring 2021 in Faryab (Qaysar, Pashtun Kot, Maymana districts), Ghor (Feroz Koh, Saghar districts), Samangan (Aybaq, Hazrati Sultan districts) and Takhar (Ishkamish district) provinces. Following these last years’ observations and the perspectives for Spring 2021, it appears that flash floods could affect up to 120,000 HHs. 2019 with large-scale floods showed the critical impact of climate on population displacement (Humanitarian Needs Overview 2021) and shelter destruction. This year, La Niña could also trigger an important drought that, as the one of 2018, would conduct to important population displacements. It could also decrease the wheat production up to 27% (Humanitarian Response Plan 2021). In addition, the number of individuals displaced due to conflict might keep on increasing to up to 250,000 individuals, as the year 2021 is a milestone year for the Peace process in the country (HRP 2021). These displacements following climatic or conflict-related shocks imply challenges, even more significant for vulnerable individuals such as women, children, elderlies or people with disabilities (HNO 2021). . As per the Spring contingency plan, all proposed provinces of intervention are classified amongst the 10 high priority provinces in terms of needs. They are all exposed to floods, drought and conflicts that already led to population displacement in the past. According to the UNHC projection, floods could affect up to 25,200 individuals (3,600 HHs) in the North and 23,000 (3, 000 HHs) in the West region. ACTED is uniquely positioned to provide seasonal ESNFI support to recently shock-affected populations in Faryab, Ghor, Samangan and Takhar provinces. It has been operating in Faryab since 1999, in Takhar since 1998, Samangan since 2017 and is currently implementing an Emergency Response Mechanism in Ghor. Using the data from the summary needs assessment based on HNO 2021, HRP 2021 and Whole of Afghanistan Assessment for 2020 (WOAA) and balanced with the ESNFI cluster’s priorities, ACTED proposes to target both displaced and host communities’ households living in damaged, destroyed or makeshift shelters. ACTED will assess and select the beneficiaries following a needs and status-based targeting criteria and aims at targeting 74% of disaster affected households (850 HHs totaling 5,950 beneficiaries) and 26% of conflict affected HHs (300 HHs totaling 2,100 beneficiaries). In total, ACTED is targeting 850 HHs with cash for rent and cash for NFI in the selected provinces of intervention: 304 HHs in Faryab, 204 in each of Samangan and Ghor provinces and 138 HHs Takhar province. Besides, ACTED is targetting 300 HHs with a toolkit and cash for repair : 93 HHs in Faryab and 69 HHs in each of Ghor, Samanghan and Takhar provinces. 

Through the AHF 2nd Reserve Allocation, ACTED will aim to provide assistance to 1,150 natural disaster-affected households and conflict-affected households by providing assistance to both people in their places of origins - with cash for repair and toolkit for repair when their household is moderately to severely damaged, and to displaced people through the supply of NFI assistance and cash-for-rent assistance. ACTED will use the opportunity of community mobilization and outreach to disseminate key messages on COVID-19 and on basic mitigation measures. ACTED’s staff is trained and has experience on awareness raising and notably on how to tackle misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccine. ACTED long-standing presence in the districts of intervention and the fact that the staff is hired as much as possible from the very same area of intervention are two key elements that will help tailor the message to the communities.