Protection Monitoring and Assistance and Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights for vulnerable persons in Western and Northern Afghanistan In Afghanistan in spring 2021, the population is facing a multitude of challenges that are exacerbating pre-existing needs, including abnormally low precipitation and increasing conflict in addition to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This has led to a context of increasing and protracted displacement in urban and informal sites settings. Additionally, within this perio, more than 230,000 undocumented migrants and refugee returnees are expected to cross back into Afghanistan and require humanitarian assistance. NRC will conduct protection monitoring to enhance evidence-based advocacy for the communities living in targeted collective sites. NRC will advocate to local authorities, UN agencies, donors, and other humanitarian partners to strengthen humanitarian coordination in regards to the humanitarian response. NRC will deploy dedicated protection field monitors as part of its Site Management teams to conduct protection monitoring. The field protection monitors will maintain a stable presence in the targeted communities, will be conducting regular protection monitoring visits following an agreed upon methodology for data collection (focus group discussions, key informant interviews, household interviews, observations), as well as analysis and reporting in Badghis Province (Moqur and Kamari Districts) Herat Province (Injil and Karukh Districts) and Kunduz Province (Kunduz City and Chartaq Districs).

Also in this context, where vulnerable persons are not able to access land or find adequate housing, Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights must be safeguarded. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees and host communities must be empowered and supported to claim and secure HLP rights. NRC through its Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) programme aims to promote access to rights through emergency legal support and advocacy to vulnerable populations. This will be done primarily through the provision of legal awareness, counselling and legal assistance on HLP and related rights, including the right to civil documentation. This is particularly important as inaccurate information on entitlements during this volatile period can exacerbate existing challenges and frustrate displacement-affected persons leading to negative coping mechanisms. Furthermore, NRC will provide capacity building for duty bearers to improve services and promote accountability within the formal and informal justice system, as well as within the administrative departments. The proposed action will be implemented over a six-month period in Western and Northern Afghanistan, precisely in Badghis Province (Qala-e-Naw and Kamari Districts) Sare-Pul Province (Sare-Pul Center District) Faryab Province (Maimana, Pashtonkut, Andkhoy, and Khanch Districts) and Balkh Province (Mazar-e-Sharif, Nahr Shahi, Dehdadi, Kholm and Marmul Districts). These are areas with high numbers of displaced and returning Afghans and different drivers of displacement, where HLP needs are high, and where the humanitarian response is currently unable to adequately address the HLP needs.