Sudan SANAD - Emergency Crisis Response Safety Net Project

active

Prospective

The project will contribute to the emergency response in the face of a worsening situation for the population of Sudan. It will focus on food distribution and cash transfers (where possible) to mitigate the effects of high food insecurity, as well as contribute to protecting human capital in the short term. Targeting will prioritize vulnerable populations including pregnant and lactating women, as well as households with children under 5 years of age. Areas of intervention will balance operational accessibility in the context of ongoing conflict with the other compounding factors such as internal displacement and exposure to climate shocks. The project will have three components. (1) Component 1:Unconditional cash transfers. This component will be implemented by WFP and will provide unconditional cash transfers. The primary goal of this component is to support vulnerable and food-insecure households in emergency IPC4 and IPC3 areas and localities to help them weather multiple shocks (displacement, food shortages, and high inflation) that may have long-term and persistent consequences in terms of nutrition outcomes, livelihood choices, and asset depletion. It is designed to contribute to the country's development goals by helping protect human capital in the short term. Component 1 will finance unconditional cash transfers to smoothen the consumption needs of targeted beneficiaries for the duration of one year. These transfers will be prioritized and provided to food-insecure households in localities with functioning food markets. The project will provide cash transfers of US$10 per person per month in the targeted households for a total of one year. The total amount transferred to an individual over a year will provide an equivalent of 50 percent of a ration of the calorific requirements per day (that is 1000 kilocalories) for one year. There will be no limitation on household size. This sub-component will benefit about 552,000 beneficiaries (110,000 households). Fifty percent of the primary grant recipients (the household members receiving the benefits on behalf of the household) will be women. Additional details on the implementation of cash-based transfers will be provided in the Project Implementation Manual (PIM).The cash transfer support under Component 1 will adopt a three-pronged targeting strategy: (i) geographical targeting to select beneficiary states and localities; (ii) Targeting below the locality (that is, villages and settlements); and (iii) targeting of beneficiary households. Targeting will follow a systematic and robust community engagement process, however given the fluidity of the conflict some of the areas of support may be more difficult to reach, targeting processes will be simplified as needed on an exceptional basis. Eligibility criteria will be detailed in the PIM and will be followed by the WFP and its implementing partners, and the communities. For the purpose of this project, the criteria will include: (i) food-insecure Female-headed Households, (ii) food-insecure Households with young children under 5, (iii) food-insecure Households with people with disabilities, (iv) food-insecure IDP households and (v) food insecure households hosting IDPs.The transfer value will be calibrated to anchor the safety nets into a sustainable model. While the country's humanitarian response aims to harmonize transfers at around 70 percent of daily calory needs, this component will aim to strike a balance between immediate needs and long-term sustainability. Therefore, transfers will be set at around 50 percent of daily calory needs. The 50 percent transfer target ensures a sustainable value for a future government-led program.(2) Component 2: Human Capital Sensitive Cash Transfers: This component will be implemented by UNICEF and will provide cash transfers to vulnerable and food-insecure Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLWs) in selected areas and localities with a strong link to health and nutrition services. The primary goal of this component is to support vulnerable households in coping with food insecurity risks while fostering investment in the early days of infants, which are linked to long-term returns, as well as enable access to basic services for poor and vulnerable households. This support will be linked to critical health services to incentivize take up and foster positive behavioral change, as well as support women's social empowerment by directly targeting mothers.Cash transfers will be provided to PLWs in relatively stable areas that are facing high levels of acute malnutrition and increased risk of food insecurity. While these communities are not all considered Emergency IPC4 areas, the overall shock of the conflict and related disruptions are exacerbating the risks faced by poor and food insecurity households. The intervention will cover 29,000 beneficiary mothers who will receive a cash entitlement of US$30 per month per child under the age of two for a period of one year. The payment modality will vary depending on the outcome of the cash feasibility assessment. While the transfers will not be conditional, the distribution would be organized at Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) as a critical entry point for ante-natal visits, folic acid supplementation, routine immunization, social behavior change communication and other services. Additional details on the implementation of cash-based transfers will be provided in the PIM.This component will be implemented in areas with functioning primary healthcare facilities that align geographically with the support under the SHARE Project (P504629). Primary healthcare services are delivered through various platforms, namely, fixed health facilities, community-based services, outreaches, and campaigns. This component will build on community-level efforts to raise awareness and increase take-up of critical health interventions for mothers and children that will promote early childhood development while providing cash transfers to the most vulnerable households in the selected areas. The vulnerability lens will be applied through geographical targeting including mapping of neighborhoods/communities. Given its categorical targeting, the intervention would allow pregnant and lactating women (both host and IDPs) would be eligible to register. Community sensitization meetings will be organized in targeted localities and communities with the support of implementing partners and the social welfare, health, and community structures. All households, particularly households with pregnant and lactating women, are encouraged to attend and are briefed about the critical nature of the early days of life, the objectives, the eligibility criteria, the registration process, the verification process, and complaint and feedback mechanisms. Midwives, Health and Nutrition Staff of the Primary Health Centers, Mother Leaders of the Mother Support Groups, Social Workers, and Health Volunteers, among others, have a key role in community sensitization and beneficiary outreach at the community level.(3) Component 3: Project Management: The project management component will cover all costs associated with implementing components one and two of the project. This includes indirect support costs of WFP and UNICEF as well as all operating costs for project implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. The project's operating costs will include WFP and UNICEF Sudan Country Office running costs, staff costs, logistics, vehicles, fuel, and computers to ensure the smooth running of the project. Additionally, this component will cover the cost of contracting implementing partners such as NGOs, financial service providers, and logistics service providers.

World Bank Group

Project

Warehouse, Residential, Government, Automotive, Commercial