WASH assistance to drought and conflict-affected populations in Samangan, Jawzjan, and Paktika provinces The 2021 update3 to the Afghanistan HRP 2018 - 2021 seeks USD 1.3 billion to reach 15.7 million people with emergency life-saving humanitarian and protection assistance across the country. The strategic objectives of the HRP focus on "lives are saved in the areas of highest needs." The multiple challenges facing the people of Afghanistan in spring 2021, including La Niña-induced climatic anomalies, intensifying conflict, new and protracted internal displacement, and the  COVID-19 pandemic, are exacerbating the pre-existing needs and vulnerabilities of millions of Afghans already dealing with the consequences of 40 years of war.
The main purpose of the Afghanistan Spring Disaster Contingency Plan 2021 in response to potential drought and other emergencies is to address intersectoral potential needs holistically and calls for an integrated response with WASH, ES-NFI, FSAC, Nutrition, Education, Protection, and Health to mitigate the multiple and overlapping challenges facing the people of Afghanistan as spring approaches – including a potential La Niña-driven drought, intensifying the ongoing conflict, and COVID-19 challenges. 
In the Spring Disaster Contingency Plan 2021 (SDCP), a total of 13 million is in need, 7.4 million people are planned to reach under all clusters. Specifically, the SDCP 2021, reported 2.7 million people in need of the WASH assistance and planned to reach 1 million people with a total funding requirement of US$26.6 Million. The WASH cluster under the 2021 3rd RA received funds to cover 32 provinces in high, medium, and low priority provinces. 
ORD proposes the WASH cluster prioritized activities including the Early warning system on drinking water sources, Safe drinking water access at community and household level, Water-efficient proper handwashing, and Agreed location on water points with the most vulnerable in Samangan, Jawzjan, and Paktika provinces.
In the target locations, the Samangan province is on the high priority list and the remaining two provinces are also listed as priority target provinces of SDCP 2021. 
ORD has had a strong presence in all provinces of N/NE regions since 2012, in East since 2014, in SE since 2010, and in central since 2021 and currently has ongoing projects, the Paktika, Samangan, and Jawzjan ongoing projects are including shelter repair assistance under 2021 2nd RA and unconditional seasonal support food under WFP in Paktika province  PSN and CBP under UNHCR, Independent monitoring (Quality assurance) of rural water supply projects under UNICEF,  Sustainable Employment and Profit through Value Chain and Enterprise Development under NCA, Livelihood protection and minimizing the drought impacts under Caritas Germany in Samangan province four ongoing responses in Jawzjan province under UNICEF, UNHCR, and FAO.
The AHF's 2021 3rd RA fund will scale up and fill the ORD's current responses gap, be holistic and become a multi-cluster response to the vulnerable population which is highly affected by drought, conflicts, and COVID-19 in Paktika, Samangan, and Jawzjan provinces.
ORD will ensure that the most vulnerable and in need people are among the affected population groups prioritized for this action, with 3957 HHs (27,600 individuals) following WASH cluster standards for natural disaster and conflict-affected people to respond to their WASH needs. 
Moreover, the project beneficiary/waterpoints selection and distribution will be carried out in line with cluster standards the selection process will be carried out using certain structured questionnaire/scorecard tools which will be shared by the WASH cluster for each modality. in case it was not available, ORD will develop a questionnaire/data collection tools and will coordinate it with the cluster and after their approval, we will use that tools for assessment and beneficiary/projects selection.