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Afghanistan + 2 more

Humanitarian Implementation Plan (HIP) Afghanistan, Pakistan (ECHO/-AS/BUD/2016/91000) Last update: 21/11/16 Version 4

Attachments

AMOUNT: EUR 64 500 000

The present Humanitarian Implementation Plan (HIP) was prepared on the basis of financing decision ECHO/WWD/BUD/2016/01000 (Worldwide Decision) and the related General Guidelines for Operational Priorities on Humanitarian Aid (Operational Priorities). The purpose of the HIP and its annex is to serve as a communication tool for ECHO's partners and to assist in the preparation of their proposals. The provisions of the Worldwide Decision and the General Conditions of the Agreement with the European Commission shall take precedence over the provisions in this document.

0. MAJOR CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE HIP

Third modification

Considering the additional needs and the availability of funds under this HIP, it is necessary to shift EUR 550 000 from Specific Objective 1 Man-made crisis to Specific Objective 2 Natural Disasters in Pakistan. This is an internal shift of funds and does not have any impact on the availability of funds.

Whilst it is the primary role of the Government to provide assistance to the affected populations of the earthquake that hit Pakistan last year - which left thousands without houses and destroyed many local infrastructures - some areas were not reached adequately by the Government agencies or humanitarian organisations, leaving many without any shelter or WASH facilities. Recent needs assessment have confirmed that these needs remained unaddressed.

This shift of allocation of funds will allow ECHO partners to deliver specific WASH and shelters intervention in remote mountainous locations where assistance has yet to be provided.

Second modification

Given that the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan is less conducive to largescale returns and in view of the persistent underfunding of the revised strategy of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iran and Pakistan, entitled "Building resilience and solutions for Afghan Refugees in South-West Asia”, there is an urgent need to scale up efforts in the fields of: protection; support for basic subsistence; health and education for the most vulnerable of the 6 million Afghans refugees being hosted by Iran and Pakistan.

In order to meet these needs, an additional EUR 10 million is being added to this HIP in view of reaching an additional target population of 800 000 vulnerable, documented and undocumented Afghans. EUR 6 million will be allocated for support in Iran and EUR 4 million for support in Pakistan. Priority sectors are protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, nutrition, health, education, and shelter.

Moreover, EUR 4 350 000 are shifted from the natural disaster specific objective to the man-made disaster specific objective.

First modification

Following the political orientation provided by Commissioner Stylianides to scale-up DG ECHO's financial support towards education in emergencies to reach the global target of 4 % and the additional contribution of EUR 26 million granted by the budgetary authority, an amount of EUR 4 500 000 has been added to the current HIP.

This additional contribution will be used to support activities that enable boys and girls safe access to quality education for boys and girls in ongoing conflicts, complex emergencies, other situations of violence and early recovery phases. Furthermore, it may support longer-term education activities in protracted crises and in refugee/IDP camps, as well as actions targeting transition to formal education systems.

In spite of the increased recognition of the important role that education may play for children and young people affected by crises, education in emergencies remains one of the least funded humanitarian sectors. For boys and girls affected by crises, safe access to education can be lifesaving, protecting them from external threats, giving them a sense of normalcy, teach them important life skills, strengthen their resilience and restore their hope for a better life. As protracted crises in the world are becoming more prominent there is a risk of creating a "lost generation" if there is not investment in education in emergency at an early stage.

In addition, the existing allocation in the 2016 HIP is not sufficient to cover the humanitarian needs of a wider number of highly vulnerable Afghan refugees in Iran. Iran is currently hosting 951 142 documented Afghan refugees and an estimated 3 million undocumented Afghans. There are daily arrivals of an estimated 2 000 additional Afghans and, according to UNHCR, 46 % of Afghan arrivals in Europe have spent time in Iran before heading towards Turkey and then Europe. The deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan is not conducive to returns. In order to meet the needs of a growing number of Afghan refugees in Iran, an additional EUR 5 000 000 is added to this HIP in view of reaching an additional target population of 400 000 vulnerable documented and undocumented Afghan refugees. Priority sectors are food assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter, non-food items and winterisation. Protection and health will also be addressed.