Food Security emergency assistance for the most vulnerable households in Namak Ab, Farkhar and Warsaj districts of Takhar province The project will support 9,200 shock affected individuals, including of PWDs and pregnant women and lactating mothers, in 1,314 households of Takhar province. These households are affected by recent conflict, drought, economic crises, and the approaching winter. The recent figures and assessments conducted by the FSAC cluster under the Whole of Afghanistan Assessment (WoAA) show that 70% of the Key Informants reported that most of the households in their settlements were not able to access enough food to meet their daily needs and that in Takhar the poor food consumption score sit between 60 and 80% of the local HH. This confirms the IPC projection analysis for November 2022 that shows high vulnerability: in the targeted districts gt25% of households meet gt 50% of caloric needs through assistance and the IPC score was 4 – emergency. Unfortunately, Mission East (ME) post distribution monitoring during the month of August and September confirms the tendance and highlight further stress on the food security in those districts since the harvest season has not been productive enough due to the severe drought that affected the region as well as the negative impact on the moisture for the wheat crop production. Therefore, Namak Ab, Farkhar and Warsaj districts still require an urgent humanitarian assistance under food security. Under this call ME will provide cash assistance to the most vulnerable families (9,200 individuals). As per plan the project will start on 15 November 2022: the targeted population will receive cash for food support till the spring season. ME will use Direct Cash Token System via a Mobile telecom company to deliver the cash distributions to the beneficiaries (contract with a Mobile Money company). 

The assumption behind the intervention is that the cash for food support will allow HHs to survive through the winter till the spring season where families will have the first harvest increasing the food availability at the HHs and community levels. The districts that have been selected under Takhar province are the following: Namak Ab (3,129 individual meaning 447 HH), Farkhar (2,943 individual meaning 420 HH) and Warsaj (3,128 individuals meaning 477HH). In all three districts the selected HH will received 72 USD per family during 7-month form December 2022 till June 2023. Mission East will thus provide the most vulnerable families with unconditional restricted cash transfers on a bi-monthly basis. The total amount of this intervention will be of 662,256 USD (72 USD per 1314 HH per 7 months duration). For Food Assistance Interventions, the recommendation from the FSAC is to cover the 75% of the food basket (72 USD) for a maximum of 8 months intervention. Mission East decided to align with the cluster position covering the 75% of the cash-based food basket enabling to support the HH till the first harvest season on a bi-monthly transfer of cash (7 months * 72 USD * 1314 HHs). The amount of the food basket has been chosen considering the transfer value variation in case of trigger 1 (change in food basket cost 8 weeks) and trigger 2 (change in food basket cost 4 weeks). 

The overall objective consists in increase the food consumption score till the harvest where the food availability and production at the family level will be increased. A Cash response is preferred because (1) it gives a dignify choice to the beneficiaries in selecting the most suitable food according to the environment/diet (2) it will also inject cash into the local economy because the cash will go to the seller in the local market and will be circulated within the communities and district. (3) it allows beneficiaries to have a timely response when it’s the most needed.

The further sustainability of the intervention through a post emergency set up will be ensured through the nexus approach with the development programming that Mission East is carrying out in the same districts of the intervention.