Assistance to persons with specific needs and vulnerable persons in Afghanistan with cash, in-kind assistance and referrals to other service providers and provision of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has dramatically worsened due to years of armed conflict, natural disasters, and difficult economic conditions. The situation is further exacerbated since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. The resulting political, social and economic shocks have led to a further deterioration in the protection and humanitarian situation in 2022. 
Under this project, UNHCR therefore seeks to respond to the needs of all persons within the targeted population groups under the 2021 and 2022 HRPs (Internally Displaced Persons – IDPS, refugees and returnees, vulnerable people with humanitarian needs and shock-affected non-displaced persons), prioritizing those with heightened protection risks or persons with specific needs (PSN). Specifically, the activities that UNHCR propose to undertake include:
 Assistance to 2,235 PSNs including 1,545 persons through cash, 400 persons through counselling, and 290 persons through in-kind assistance and referrals to other service providers.
UNHCR’s PSN programme is an integral part of its Afghanistan Protection and Solutions Strategy. It aims to strengthen the protection environment for PSN amongst UNHCR’s persons of concern across Afghanistan, applying a whole-of-community approach. Assistance is provided on an individual basis to people assessed as having acute vulnerabilities. The activity will be implemented in following provinces/districts:
 Provision of Cash for Basic Needs to 1,805 individuals
UNHCR systematically identifies individuals and groups with vulnerabilities at heightened risk or require an early intervention to as well as mitigate against negative coping mechanisms caused by the economic crisis as well the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, UNHCR will continue providing multipurpose cash to vulnerable families to address their basic and essential needs. Previously called cash for protection, this assistance reflects the broader scope of needs it addresses.
 Provision of Mental Health Psycho-Social Services (MHPSS) to 650 individuals
The Whole of Afghanistan Assessment 2021 conducted by REACH in the context of the 2021 Humanitarian Programme Cycle, shows a high level of needs for MHPSS services. Sixty-six per cent of men and 61 per cent of women in assessed households reported at least one behavioral change in the past year, including aggressive or violent conduct by men and crying by women, boys and girls, with poverty and financial stress mentioned as factors. UNHCR will provide counselling through individual sessions, separately for men and women, and boys and girls as appropriate, in addition to family counselling and groups sessions to community members. These sessions will be provided in community centers and on-site during field missions. 
For the implementation of this project, UNHCR Sections - Programme, Project Control, CBI and Protection will be involved, however, the entire project will be led by Programme. UNHCR staff receive standard salaries and work on requested projects during the duration of their contracts. UNHCR staff salaries are provided by other sources. Further implementation support will be provided by partners namely ORD, WADAN, CHA, WAW and WASSA. Implementing partners are not provided with 7% PSC because the support costs have been provided within partner budget lines as laid out in the project budget document under the documents tab.