Immediate lifesaving WASH prevention measures to control the spread of AWD/cholera, with special attention to the at-risk populations in rural Deir Ez Zor In line with the strategic objectives set forth in the 1st Reserve Allocation of 2022 of SHF-OCHA, WW-GVC aims to carry out an emergency response focused on WASH, addressing immediate needs and preventing the spread of AWD/cholera outbreak in vulnerable areas of Deir-ez-Zor Governorate. The lack of access to treated and sufficient water to the residents, schools, and health centers, confronted with low awareness on Cholera/AWD prevention and general poor hygiene behavior, is putting Ashara's population's lives at risk by the uncontrolled spread of Cholera/AWD outbreak. Immediate preventive measures to stop the spread of the outbreak are considered as critical and lifesaving. In the timeframe of six months, WW-GVC will deliver critical WASH life-saving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance to targeted 18,000 IDPs, returnees, and host communities with high-severity of needs in Ashara, Deir-ez-Zor. 

WW-GVC will carry out a broad hygiene promotion campaign on AWD/Cholera prevention paired by the distribution of household disinfection kits (Cholera kits) to 3,000 Households (18,000 individuals) at the community level. The kits will include water disinfection tablets (aqua tabs) and soap to ensure households targeted are able to treat their domestic water, especially those who depend on unmonitored and untreated sources of water such as water trucking. The campaign will be rolled-out in coordination with other organizations and agencies operating in the same areas and in alignment with health agencies' RCCE campaigns. Moreover, to ensure that 5,336 students and Educational staff have safe access to water and sanitation in schools, WW-GVC will rehabilitate 5 WASH facilities in schools taking into account gender and disability adaptation. Schools will also receive cleaning kits including water tanks supported by cleaning and disinfection awareness-raising sessions. In parallel, 16 schools and health centers will be supported with short-term emergency water trucking in coordination with Education and Health Sector and line ministries with a planned exit strategy. Ensuring access to water disinfection kits and awareness raising on AWD/Cholera prevention, accessible and clean sanitation facilities in schools, and safe water delivery to schools and health centers, the targeted population will have all the means necessary to stop the spread of the AWD/Cholera outbreak.

The proposed action will be interlinked and integrated with the Education and Health sectors and complemented by resilience-building considerations and a well-defined exit strategy. Protection mainstreaming, inclusion, gender equality, accountability to affected population (AAP) and community engagement will be key cross-cutting themes informing the whole intervention. To secure an effective and timely emergency response, WW-GVC will build upon its strong presence, access, and acceptance by stakeholders and communities in the pre-identified project locations of Deir-ez-Zor. Moreover, WW-GVC will be able to deliver principled and quality assistance thanks to its solid technical and operational capacities already available on the ground. In addition, the WASH emergency response to the cholera outbreak is designed to complement and optimize impact and resources of other ongoing WW-GVC interventions in the same target locations, funded by donors such as ECHO, the Italian Agency of Development and Cooperation (AICS), along with other SHF-funded interventions.