Urgent Assistance to Vulnerable Households in Gaza Strip – Phase II This project aims to urgently respond to the current emerging essential needs among severely impacted households (HHs) in order to enhance their access to food and other basic needs, as well as restore their livelihood capacities. This project will build upon Mercy Corps’ current oPt-HF funded cash program to further respond to continually increasing needs amongst targeted vulnerable groups, whose situation has been severely exacerbated by COVID-19.

Through unconditional cash assistance, this project will identify and select the most vulnerable HHs in three groups of acutely vulnerable HHs: 1) vulnerable farmers and breeders from Middle Area, Khan Younis, and Rafah, including Access Restricted Areas (ARAs) 2) vulnerable fishers from Middle Area and 3) vulnerable HHs from the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) unserved waiting lists of Social Safety Net (SSN), and daily-wage laborers who lost their source of income and livelihood from Middle Area, Khan Younis, and Rafah.

Through this project, Mercy Corps and its local NGO partner Al Foukhary Association for Country Development (Al Foukhary) will target 263 vulnerable HHs (1,447 individuals), including 76 farmers and breeders (from Middle Area, Khan Younis, and Rafah), 42 fishers (from Middle Area), and 83 SSN and 62 daily-wage laborer households (from Middle Area, Khan Younis, and Rafah)

1) Eligible vulnerable Farmer and Breeder HHs identified through combined HH vulnerability assessment and livelihood technical assessment. Each selected Farmer and Breeder HH will receive an average amount of $1,200 in three installments based on their priority needs 
2) Eligible vulnerable Fishers HHs identified through combined HH vulnerability assessment and livelihood technical assessment. Each selected Fisher HH will receive an average amount of $ 1,002 in three installments based on their priority needs 
3) Highly vulnerable SSN and Daily-Wage laborer HHs will receive $1,016 over four months ($254 monthly installments).

This urgent cash support will allow vulnerable HHs to have flexible, reliable, and timely financial support to address their urgent needs, restore their livelihoods, build resilience and improve agriculture and fishery production capacity. Cash installments will be distributed through Electronic Debit Cards (e-cards) from PalPay and Bank of Palestine, which has extensive geographic coverage and is highly accessible through ATMs and Branches in Middle Area, Khan Younis, and Rafah. This will ensure that beneficiaries can access cash assistance outside regular bank work hours and even if banks are limiting operations due to the COVID-19 crisis and restricted movement measures.

By utilizing cash as a modality for direct assistance, beneficiaries have greater power in determining how to meet their own urgent needs, empowering them and maintaining their dignity while reducing their vulnerability and contributing to the restoration of their food security. Additionally, in the Gaza Strip, local markets are functional and vendors continue to have adequate stock available therefore, cash assistance is an appropriate humanitarian response modality to meet critical basic needs.

Through well-established evidence-based vulnerability and technical targeting, Mercy Corps and Al Foukhary, will use the Proxy Means Test Formula (PMTF), and Technical Criteria to identify, assess and verify selected vulnerable HHs to receive cash assistance, monitor activities, and ensure full coordination and engagement with the MoSD, Ministry of Agriculture, the community and all relevant stakeholders.

Additionally, Mercy Corps will promote community ownership, accountability, and participation throughout the project through baseline assessments, orientation sessions, Post Distribution Monitoring, and its Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism (CARM), while also mobilizing key stakeholders to more deeply engage with identified vulnerable HHs.