South Sudan Joint Response 3 SUMMARY 
In 2016 the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan has deepened and spread since December 2013. This project is the continuation of Joint response 2 and is implemented as part of the Dutch Relief Alliance Consortium with 12 other Dutch NGOs. The aim of this project is to save lives and alleviate suffering of those most in need of assistance and protection, by protecting and promoting livelihoods to enhance coping mechanisms and improve access to food. This project was implemented from March 1st to December 31st 2017 in Lainya County (Central Equatoria State) and focuses on food insecure households by providing farming groups with seeds and tools to enable most vulnerable households to farm their lands. Beneficiaries, as well as local government authorities will be trained by Plan in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture on conservative agriculture while training on Gender Based Violence and protection to mitigate protection risks and refer cases to protection actors. As per the HRP, 7.5 million people in South Sudan are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection as a result of armed conflict, economic crisis, diseases and climate shocks. The HRP and HNO 2017 identify especially Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) and protection but also WASH as sectors with highest needs. Needs assessments of Plan and Cordaid in Lainya confirm these needs. FSL: 4.8 million South Sudanese and 141.000 people in Lainya are estimated to be severely food insecure and this is expected to rise in 2017. Plan’s response is based on the deteriorating FSL situation in Greater Equatoria, Lainya county, affected by the conflict of 2016, inflation and lack of rainfall, consequently leaving people cut off from planting and harvesting, resulting in more food insecurity. To restore the food production, food security, cohesion and safety, Plan will conduct a beneficiary assessment, pre-planting and post-harvest surveys, a conservation agriculture training, and distribution of seeds and tools to beneficiary groups. To ensure capacity, land provision and food assistance, local agricultural authorities will be trained on good agricultural practices, gender and protection. WASH: 4,8 million South Sudanese and 64.200 people in Lainya are in need of support to access safe water and sanitation facilities. Plan's partner TdH will focus on WASH in Lainya targeting the same beneficiaries. Mainstreaming Protection: Plan's needs assessment stated, children in Lainya were recruited by armed forces, while females were victims of SGBV. As per the HRP, all sectors, including FSL and WASH should mainstream gender sensitive strategies to prevent, respond to protection risks. As such, Plan and TdH will mainstream protection in its FSL and WASH programming, by establishing community committees responsible for the distribution of seeds, tools and hygiene kits, and protection. The proposed action is aligned to UNOCHAs overall objectives 1 and 2 in the HRP. Plan will contribute to FSL: SO 1) Secure safe and life-saving access to food for the most vulnerable, SO 2) Protect and promote livelihoods to enhance coping mechanisms and improve access to food. Expected result 1 for SO1: 10.543 most vulnerable people (1837 households) of which at least 60% female have increased safe and life-saving access to food. Key activities R1, aligned to WFP: selection of most vulnerable beneficiaries through community based targeting process; Training on conservation agriculture; Purchase of tools and seeds of short season staple crops (sorghum) and vegetables (supplementary, being less labour intensive, higher monetary value and contribution to nutrition security), harvested after 2-3 months; Distribution of seeds and tools, in a gender sensitive manner by the community committee to beneficiaries. Expected result 2 for SO2: Livelihoods of 10.543 people have been protected and promoted through enhanced coping mechanisms and access to food. Key activities R2: Forming farming groups of 10 beneficiaries (IDPs and host communities) to work on each household’s plot of land ensuring capacity, gender inclusion, and social safety nets, also after the project (ensuring exit strategy); Beneficiaries are trained to enhance coping mechanisms and farming as a business to improve food production and income, based on a pre-and post-harvest survey. Surplus of harvest will be sold as income generating activity. Authorities are trained on gender, protection and farming to enhance safety, engagement and sustainability. Mainstreaming protection: In 3 payams Community Committees will be formed to 1) safely distribute seeds, tools and hygiene kits to beneficiaries, 2) ensure that rights are respected and protection risks are prevented/responded to when gathering for food &WASH assistance, 3) establish a feedback mechanism/helpdesk that will include GBV prevention and response and identification and referral of unaccompanied children. Focus is on the most vulnerable communities (60% females) including  IDPs and host communities who have lost most of their livelihood assets, child-headed & elderly headed families, female headed families and chronically ill headed families who are most food insecure and face the highest protection risks. Plan and TdH will conduct with the local authorities a beneficiary selection assessment to identify who is most eligible/ in need. Activity 1. Identification and registration of beneficiaries and distribution of seeds and tools
Activity2.  Training of beneficiaries on conservation agriculture and GBV and protection related issues.
Activity 3. Formation of farming groups.
Activity 4. Training of local government authorities on conservation agriculture, protection and gender