Afghanistan: 2024 ICCT Winter Prioritisation - September 2024 (Issued 9 September 2024)

The Inter-Sector Winter Prioritisation for 2024 represents analysis by the Inter-Cluster Coordination Team (ICCT) that identifies locations where seasonal risks during the October to December period (early onset winter season) and underserved locations intersect, therefore indicating where the most acute multi-sectoral vulnerabilities lie.

The 2024 Inter-Sector Winter Prioritisation follows suit from previous winter prioritization exercises with the aim to provide real-time information to sequence limited resources to prioritised areas where sector-specific needs are the highest and multi-sector needs are overlapping throughout the winter period.

The Prioritisation was based on a collective analysis of winter scenarios and assumed risks, an analysis of each Cluster’s priorities at the district level (details are available in subsequent sections of this document), and a realistic assessment of where capacity can be availed. A multi-sector vulnerability approach was applied considering areas where temperature decreases, and snow cover persists (relying on analysis from the past five years); winter season risks are high; sector-specific vulnerabilities are acute; and people are underserved.

Cluster-specific prioritisations highlight where sector-specific needs are concentrated, whereas the inter-sector prioritisation highlights areas where needs are overlapping and multisector activities can have the maximum impact. The inter-sector prioritisation outlines 171 high priority, 227 medium priority and three low priority districts.

Similar to last year’s winter prioritisation exercise, the 2024 ICCT Winter Prioritisation is a costed prioritisation. All activities included consider winter-specific and winter season focused assistance. With a strict lens applied to the costing, the immediate funding gaps highlighted reflect planned response in each Clusters’ top priority districts. All activities and costing in the 2024 ICCT Winter Prioritisation are a subset of the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP).

At the beginning of June 2024, the ICCT undertook a critical funding gap analysis exercise, focusing on the funding gaps to date for each sector and cross-cutting areas, as well as the anticipated impact of continued underfunding for the current quarter (June to August 2024). At the time, the HNRP faced a funding shortfall of US $2.45 billion, with critical funding gaps of $238.3 million.

Currently, the HNRP has a gap of $2.3 billion. The process of cleaning up erroneous Financial Tracking Service (FTS) funding streams will continue over the coming weeks. This also includes unpacking the sector not specified and multi-sectoral funding which currently stands at $62.6 million. As of September 2024, Clusters have identified $193.9 million in the pipeline. Some $603.5 million is urgently required to support priority winter preparedness activities such as upgrades and repairs to shelter and the provision of warm clothes and blankets. These activities must be implemented in the next three months. In addition, $104 million is needed to pre-position supplies, including food and livelihoods assistance, before areas get cut off by the weather.

• Overall HNRP Funding Gaps – $2.3 billion

• 2024 Immediate Winter Funding Priorities (Oct-Dec) – $603.5 million

• Early Pre-Positioning Requirements (Q1 2025) – $104 million