Common Humanitarian Fund - Afghanistan: First Standard Allocation Strategy 2016 (Envelope 2: Emergency Response to Internally Displaced People)

The purpose of this funding envelope is to bolster existing emergency response capacity in light of increasing conflict displacement. Multiple partners already respond across the country to the needs of conflict IDPs, applications should be submitted to cover areas where gaps in capacity have been identified;

The focus should be in providing a preparedness level of response capacity to respond to future IDP movements. It is not expected that assessments will have been completed at the concept note stage but will be undertaken as and when new IDP movements are reported;

Applications must demonstrate a clear need and justification for their activities demonstrating the likelihood of future displacement to the target location(s) and the absence of any other response partners already there able to provide assistance;

The focus of activities under this envelope must be to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to newly conflict displaced (displaced within 6 months of assessment date). However NGOs must make their own informed programmatic decisions in terms of how stringently they discriminate their assistance. If an NGO is responding to a community where IDPs, refugees and returnees are co-located it is up to the NGO to determine the method for prioritizing and targeting assistance so as to avoid negative consequences. The predominant focus and principal beneficiary group however should be the conflict IDPs. Applications for activities targeted entirely at refugees or returnees are not eligible under this funding envelope;

Applications to address backlogs of IDP petitions will be considered only in exceptional circumstances and where the nature of the planned assistance would still be considered an emergency intervention;

The envelope is not intended to support projects addressing needs of prolonged or protracted IDPs;

The allocation is not for response to natural disasters. If a significant emergency arises and a CHF partner has resources allocated under this envelope they can contact OCHA to seek approval for use of these funds for general emergency response activities to natural disaster affected. Prior approval must be given;

The type of response must be within the parameters of emergency assistance. All response provided should be needs based and in accordance with existing cluster standards where available. The type and duration of assistance must be justified through household level assessment and where possible seek to ensure an adequate response to avoid further displacement of IDPs where the sole purpose for secondary displacement would be to obtain additional assistance;

Actions must reinforce existing coordination mechanisms including the use of the HCT endorsed assessment tool, participation in joint assessment teams and conformity with agreed cluster standards;

Applications will only be considered from partners with existing presence and capacity in the proposed geographic area. The CHF will not support organisations to set up offices and establish projects in new areas for this activity;

The CHF grants can cover a limited and fair proportion of office and staff maintenance costs and should be applied only on a cost share basis.