Providing Emergency Cash for Food assistance to the most vulnerable IPC3 and IPC4 households in the underserved, drought and conflict affected communities of Balkh and Dawlatabad Districts of Balkh Province With the anticipation of harsh winter, Afghans are facing the worst humanitarian crisis since 2001 with over 22.8 million people reaching IPC3+ food insecurity levels since November (IPC,2021). Over 58% households already struggle to obtain food and 86% of them identify food as one of their three priority needs (REACH, 2021). At this very moment, agricultural households lack sources of livelihoods but are also acutely food insecure. While trends of increased food insecurity have regularly been observed during lean seasons and winter periods in Afghanistan, Afghan communities significantly reduced their resilience even prior to the beginning of the current lean season (SFSA 2021). 

Amongst the hardest hit are agricultural households in Balkh Province, one of the five most affected provinces according to agricultural data (SFSA 2021, FAO 2021). Indexes such as the Household Hunger Scale or reduced Coping Strategy Index are the highest in Balkh province of all Afghanistan (SFSA 2021). Over 89% of Balkh agricultural HHs report a reduction in this year’s harvest (FAO 2021). With the recent climate outlook and weak to moderate La Niña event, it is highly likely that lower than average precipitation and poor soil moisture conditions will result in yet another drought in 2022, i.e. 3rd drought in the last five years (FAO,2021). The situation is critical. Balkh agricultural households lack the necessary support, stocks and assets to cover their basic food needs in the upcoming winter months. In Balkh and Dawlatabad districts, over 50% of the households already rely on help or borrow money to cover their basic food consumption needs, 67% of them are already engaged in crisis or emergency levels of livelihoods coping strategies (PIN,2021).

This project focuses on one of the highest populated districts of Balkh Province, Balkh and Dawlatabad districts, which are currently being underserved. PIN will provide cash for food assistance for two months to 2,764 vulnerable IPC 3 and 4 HHs (19,348 people, including at least 10,000 women and girls and 1,160 PWD’s) in agricultural and underserved districts of Balkh district (1,382 HHs/9674 individuals) and Dawlatabad district (1,382 HHs/9674 individuals) to support them in improving their food consumption and complement their depleted food stocks. Selected households will receive standard FSAC cluster cash based full food basket (AFN equal to 90 USD) for two consecutive months, totaling 180 USD (AFN equivalent) per beneficiary. Transfers will be provided in two rounds (one per month) of over the counter cash payments through a Hawala dealer. This target will be achieved through community-based targeting and beneficiary selection, localisation of underserved areas and applying the "whole of communities” approach. The project provides a flexible assistance modality through unconditional, unrestricted cash which ensures any assistance is provided in the timeliest manner in a way that increases the agency of those receiving it, allowing them to take decision on how to use the assistance to best enhance their food security and supplement other more positive coping strategies. This type of assistance reflects the feedback of the local population who overwhelmingly mention cash as to the most preferred modality of support (REACH/PIN, 2021). While unlikely and not supported by current data (WFP/PIN, 2021) and observation, in case the capacity of local markets to supply the required food products in enough quantities unexpectedly changes, PIN is prepared to divert to in-kind distributions modality.

PIN has been operating in Balkh Province since 2001. For the last 20 years, PIN managed to operate in the majority of Balkh districts including Balkh and Dawlatabad, succeeding in building high acceptance among communities, local structures and stakeholders. PIN is also currently implementing cash-based responses serving 2000 HHs in Mazar-e-Sharif (covering food, shelter, winterization and NFI needs).