Food (cash) Assistance to the Earthquake Affected Population in Kushk, Gulran, and Injil Districts of Herat Province, Afghanistan

The overarching aim of Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) funded project is to enhance the food security of households that have been severely impacted by the earthquake, rendering them highly vulnerable and in urgent need of emergency food support. DCA's intervention is designed to provide timely relief to address this critical situation by extending cash assistance to 5,000 food-insecure households residing in the Kushk, Gulran, and Injil districts of Herat province. The initiative will improve food availability for 5,000 households in the districts of Kushk, Gulran, and Injil in the province of Herat by giving two-thirds of the food basket in cash for a total of USD 75 in food assistance (2 * $37.5 = $75). An output of the project is that 35,000 people (men, women, boys, and girls) from 5,000 earthquake-affected households in the districts of Kushk, Gulran, and Injil of Herat province receive food assistance (2 * 50% of FSAC food basket, 2 * $37.5 totaling $75 in one round distribution). The project prioritizes vulnerable groups, women headed HHs, and people with disabilities. the resilience mechanisms of rural communities through livestock-focused innovations. The project also addresses gender equality and one health as cross-cutting issues. In 2023, as part of the AESLSP project, 44 stop shops were established to collect and purchase animal by-products from linked herders. Additionally, 40 new veterinary paraprofessionals were trained and equipped to deliver veterinary services, and 263 existing veterinary field units were supported across targeted provinces. The project also saw the vaccination of 1,349,601 small ruminants against diseases like Sheep and Goat Pox and Peste des Petits Ruminants, while 3,351,713 animals were vaccinated against different types of diseases. A total of 2,995,642 animals were treated and 850,948 sheep, goats, and cows were dewormed against internal and external parasites. To support the lamb fattening activity of the project, 50,000 Kg of concentrated feed was distributed to 500 households, while 30,000 pullets, along with 1,12,500 Kg balanced feed and a complete backyard poultry package, were provided to 1,000 vulnerable women-headed households in the targeted area. As part of the project's extension approach, 46,922 male and female farmers were trained on livestock-related topics. Additionally, 1,899 women farmers were educated and made aware of animal husbandry through an innovative approach of Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model which is a successful approach in the current situation of the country to reach project women beneficiaries