| Afghanistan 2012 |
| Appealing Agency | ACT Alliance / Christian Aid (ACT/CA) |
| Project Title | To reduce the impact of drought and food crisis and vulnerabilities on affected communities in Gulran District of Herat Province |
| Project Code | AFG-12/A/45952 |
| Sector/Cluster | FOOD SECURITY AND AGRICULTURE |
| Refugee Project | No |
| Objectives | To provide humanitarian assistance to the most severely affected segment of population whose lives and livelihoods, as well as food security and nutrition have been adversely affected by drought in Gulran districts of Herat province |
| Beneficiaries | Total: 67,500 drought affected Female: 25,800 Children (under 18): 12,900 Other group: 7,000 IDPs |
| Implementing Partners | The Agency for Humanitarian Development Assistant for Afghanistan (AHDAA) |
| Project Duration | Jan 2012 - Dec 2012 |
| Current Funds Requested | $929,519 |
| Location | Herat |
| Priority / Category | B. MEDIUM |
| Gender Marker Code | 1 - The project is designed to contribute in some limited way to gender equality |
| Subset of Appeal | |
| Contact Details | Serena Di Matteo, SDiMatteo@christian-aid.org , +93 799 417487 |
| Enhanced Geographical Fields | |
| Cash Based Intervention | | Is any part of this project cash transfer programming (including vouchers)? | No | | Conditionality: | | | Restrictions: | | | Estimated percentage of project requirements to be used for cash/vouchers: | 0 |
|
Needs
A harsh drought in most parts of Afghanistan has affected the most important livelihood resources such as livestock, agriculture, sanitation and safe water sources.
Based on WFP drought assessment an estimated 2.86 million people are food insecure in 2010/11 due to the below normal production in 14 of the 34 provinces in the northern, north eastern, north western and central regions of the country. The food insecurity situation will deepen as the winter season sets in November and will continue until the next harvest season in June 2012, except for those households that have access to irrigation for a second crop.
To cope with the food insecurity situation, households are using unsustainable coping mechanisms. For example, 50% of the households are selling their breeding livestock and other assets, 40% of the households using increased child labour, and the food insecure are using more of the consumption coping mechanisms such as limiting size of meals. Water for irrigation and drinking, wheat planting seeds, and pasture shortage and need for fodder for livestock have been indicated by households in the community as the most urgent needs. Hence, whilst water is a chronic problem in some of the affected areas, the drought conditions in 2011 will further aggravate the problem. Hence, assistance with seeds for the next planting season, especially for the households with irrigated land, assistance with fodder for the breeding livestock and drinking water should be prioritized as the problem will be more pronounced as the year progresses.
In Gulran, Christian Aid partner, AHDAA met with the communities and CDCs/ Shuras of the target villages in the last week of August 2011. During the meetings AHDAA committed to develop a plan including activities to reduce drought effects, as well to make people and community more resilient to drought even in future. Also for more effective planning and to gain factual information, AHDAA has implemented a base line survey among 242 villages where are affected by drought. The assessment shows that 90% of the villages are severely drought affected.
The UN joint mission has identified three main districts where the population is facing shortages of food and water, namely Gulran, Koshki Kohna and Koshki Rabat Sangi districts. And the communities in this area need immediate emergency assistance. In some parts of the Western region, security is still a concern. CA and partners will be able to focus on Gulran District with minimum security challenges.
Based on UNOCHA finding, in current year, due to low level of precipitation in the winter and spring the water table has significantly gone down leaving many areas of Afghanistan severely affected (livelihood zones). Shortage of crop, fodder and drinking water in some areas in Koshk e Kohna, Koshk e Roba Sangi, Kohsan, Gulran, Farsi, Badghis and Ghor will become a major problem if no immediate response to the humanitarian needs is provided. Food security in priority drought affected areas will become a 'Food Crisis' during August 2011 and the crisis will remain until the harvest in June 2012.
Within this Project Christian Aid aims at including also the IDPs assessed by the UN Joint mission. Target lists have been provided by ANDMA, DoRR, OCHA and IOM as cooperation has been already discussed to ensure this caseload receives humanitarian assistance.
Activities
Specificities of direct beneficiaries: The project beneficiaries are the local population of the target villages which will include men, women, children, IDPs, and all the vulnerable villagers in the target villages. The identification and selection will be carried out on the basis of vulnerability criteria and of most urgent needs, with priority given to the most vulnerable - IDPs, the disabled, drought affected farmers, and women headed households, pregnant women, lactating mothers, elderly and children. Many households will be involved in more than one sector of support.
Activities:
1. Food distribution for the most vulnerable households
Food will be distributed for 2,500 most vulnerable and most affected households who will be identified through the survey in coordination with communities’ representatives, CDCs, Shura members and local Authorities. The food basket includes: 50kg of Rice, 50kg of Flour, 5Liters cooking Oil, 4kg of Sugar, 4 kg of Beans, 1 kg of Tea.
This activity will be implemented within the first 3 months (January to March 2012) of the Project. The beneficiaries will be selected on the basis of a door -to- door survey on targeted villages (40 villages). It will be a one-off distribution in each target village.
Ration cards will be distributed to those who will be selected as target beneficiary under this component. For better coordination and transparency the local Shura and authorities will be involved in beneficiary selection and distribution.
2. Livestock training on rearing and provision of vaccines.
Technical support, training and provision of vaccines for 5,000 households (2,500 Households are the same beneficiaries of fodder distribution) to prevent animals’ diseases and mortality.
A door- to- door survey will be conducted to identify and assess the livestock capacity of each livestock keeper and needs. Veterinary doctors supported by community mobilisers will conduct one training for 40 villages (3-days training) from January to June 2012. Animals’ vaccination will take place in 40 target villages. An estimated number of 150,000 goats and sheep will be vaccinated (three times within 3 months). This activity will be implemented form January to March 2012.
3. Fodder distribution for the most affected livestock keepers
50 kg of fodder (barley) for 2,500 households. Criteria for selection will be based on vulnerabilities.
In January & February 2012 the fodder will be purchased and distributed to target beneficiaries; those months have been indicated as the coldest months in Gulran District and livestock is kept in households and there is no pasture. Fodder distribution will happen one time in each target villages (totally 40 villages).
4. Cash for work (CFW) including wells’ excavation and deepening, canal cleaning and pipe schemes for the provision of water both for irrigation and drinking.
Around 40% of the male population of working age and responsible for the family income have no permanent job due to shortage of job opportunities, lack of skills and conflict. Their income usually comes from occasional/ seasonal work.
The component will focus on provision of cash for work opportunities to 2,500 male workers (an average of 62 unskilled labours will be selected from 40 villages, working for 10 days each); Among those, IDPs, land owners and landless farmers, jobless, to be hired as unskilled labours.
250 women will be involved in the CFW projects to provide logistic support to male labours such as cooking food or prepare tea. Each of those women will work 10 days during the project period. Each beneficiary under the CFW component – both man and women - will receive 7.5 USD/ 352 AFA per working day each.
ItThe duration of this activity will be 6 months (from January to June 2012)
Outputs
Result 1: Access to adequate food consumption at the time of drought crisis, decreased incidence of nutritional disorders and distribution of non-food item to protect target beneficiaries.
Result 2: Access to livestock fodder while there is not enough grass for their livestock at the pastures
Result 3: Enhancing animal husbandry productivity through providing vaccination and technical support in order to prevent animals’ diseases and mortality.
Result 4: Working opportunities for the most vulnerable population of the target communities who will work in Cash for work (CFW) basis, enhance purchasing power with cash based responses at the time of the drought to buy their family needs and consumption
Result 5: Improved agricultural productive capacity and nutrition.
RPM Activities and Indicators
| ACT Alliance / Christian Aid (ACT/CA) |
| Original BUDGET items | $ |
| Staffing | 81,395 |
| Inputs | 795,230 |
| Administrative Costs | 52,894 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
|
| Total | 929,519 |
| ACT Alliance / Christian Aid(ACT/CA) |
| Current BUDGET items | $ |
| Staffing | 81,395 |
| Inputs | 795,230 |
| Administrative Costs | 52,894 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
|
| Total | 929,519 |
ACTIVITY DETAILS
NO