Emergency WASH Support for Shock-Affected Communities in Dawlatyar Vulnerable populations in Dawlatyar district of Ghor face a complex set of needs. Drought and economic recession have resulted in reduced food and water availability and income opportunities, depleting households’ productive assets and capacity to cope with shocks. Many of Ghor’s communities are prone to flooding and other natural hazards which destroy households’ assets and homes, leaving them vulnerable to further risks, including AWD outbreaks. In consultation with the regional WASH Cluster and in accordance with the SA1 Allocation Strategy Paper, Afghanaid proposes to provide crucial WASH assistance to align with an AHF ESNFI flood response project, for which we are applying under SA1. The project will also align with WASH in Health priorities for this allocation, to enable a joined-up, complementary response. 60% of the project will be Activity 4, WASH in ESNFI: an estimated 1,505 shock-affected households in the Lokah-e-Mazar and Sumak areas of Dawlatyar will receive water kits, with key WASH items to ensure safe drinking water where water systems are damaged, and to guard against outbreaks of disease. Afghanaid will rehabilitate 8 water systems in need of repair, and train communities to maintain them. 40% will be Activity 1, WASH in Health: Afghanaid will construct latrines to ensure safe excreta disposal and provide AWD and hygiene training to prevent outbreaks. 
Inadequate access to WASH facilities worsens health resilience. Providing basic sanitation and repairing drinking water sources are effective strategies to improve the health status of the population, helping them withstand the effect of multiple shocks. In Dawlatyar, community infrastructure, including drinking water sources, has been destroyed or damaged emergency interventions are needed for water supply rehabilitation and protection. As well as being identified by the ES/NFI cluster as a priority location for this allocation, Dawlatyar is also a high priority district for WASH in the ICCT Spring and Summer Prioritisation reports. The WASH cluster in the Western Region identified Dawlatyar as among the districts with most acute WASH needs in the province. Afghanaid’s assessment report of May 2022 found that both locations are severely affected by shocks, including floods and ongoing drought. The assessment showed very poor access to safe drinking water, coupled with an acute lack of water treatment options and poor hygiene practices. The report indicates the overall negative impacts of last year’s floods, drought and conflicts in the district, with 98% of respondents indicating that at least one water source in their community was in need of repair.
Improvement in health due to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities will reduce the risk of outbreaks, lower the cost of medical care and increase household savings to provide a safety net. Without immediate emergency response, the situation is likely to worsen, with a harsh winter expected from November and flash floods in spring. 
The assessment has prioritized the proposed interventions to address emergency WASH needs. The interventions below have been assessed as viable by Afghanaid’s engineer in Ghor: 
	Repairing of Solar and Gravity systems Pipe Schemes in 6 villages supporting 619 families
	Protecting a pipe scheme with super passage and canal: Lokah-e Mazar supporting 300 families
	Constructing 350 block masonry latrines: Lokah-e-Mazar and surrounding 6 villages supporting 919 families
	Training OampM communities to maintain water systems
	Distributing water kits to shock-affected households
	Hygiene promotion including AWD awareness 
Afghanaid is well placed to implement this project, with over 20 years’ continuous presence in Ghor, and extensive humanitarian programming experience.