Shelter emergency assistance to vulnerable households exposed to harsh weather and protection concerns in the Gaza Strip The proposed action is fully in line with the 2020 1st Reserve Allocation Strategy as well as with the Shelter/NFI Cluster HRP objectives as it prioritizes urgent shelter assistance to vulnerable households in Gaza based on recently conducted and comprehensive needs assessment. It is based on the 2020 Humanitarian Needs Overview and it is aligned with the Shelter/ NFI Cluster Objective 2 “Vulnerable households exposed to harsh weather and protection concerns are supported to meet basic needs and enhance their coping capacity” and 2020 HRP Strategic Objective 2 ” The basic needs of vulnerable Palestinians living under occupation are met through the provision of quality basic services and improved access to resources, in accordance with the rights of protected persons under International Humanitarian Law”. It also rests on several recent assessments conducted by ACTED and MAAN in Gaza. ACTED and MA’AN have developed a strong expertise in emergency and long-term shelter assistance in Gaza, through several in-kind and cash-based successful programs. ACTED and MA’AN are currently implementing a shelter project in Rafah and Middle-Area governorates, funded under the HPF 2019 2nd standard allocation. A strong framework has already been established to support the on-going implementation of the shelter upgrading project in Gaza. Thus ACTED and MA’AN are able to amply extend the project to target additional households. This will foster rapid implementation and operationalization of project teams, as well cost-efficient activities.

The project aims at providing vulnerable households affected by weather extremes and living in substandard shelters with temporary and longer-term shelter assistance. The project will increase the access to safe and secure shelters for vulnerable households exposed to harsh weather and natural hazards concerns in Middle Area and Rafah governorates. It will enhance the households’ capacity to cope with the risk of deterioration of living conditions by providing urgent and long-term shelter interventions and ensure more durable solutions. In total, 350 HHs will be assisted they will be provided with household shelter NFI kits and will be assisted through a light rehabilitation of the most urgent shelter items – waterproofing and rehabilitation of walls, roofs, windows and inside / outside doors. A total of 1,995 beneficiaries will benefit from the project. The action will be supported by the mainstreaming of an Integrated Protection Approach (IPA) to ensure that the rights of all household’s members are respected with full dignity and safety, with a specific focus on women, children and people with disabilities. Accountability to Affected Population (AAP) will be also ensured through regular contact and visits to beneficiaries, engagement of households in the intervention design, Community-based Protection Committees (CBPCs) and a comprehensive Complaint Response Mechanism. Finally, the project design endorses all of the Shelter/NFI Cluster recommendations, in particular by providing a tailored combination of modalities, which include provision of NFI kits and a cash-based self-help approach for shelter rehabilitation to the 350 selected households based on their needs. This will maximize impact on beneficiaries while fostering ownership and resilience of the targeted community.