Supporting families to meet urgent needs and begin recovering with dignity
TYPE: Emergency Relief – Unrestricted Cash Assistance under the DERF Rapid Response Mechanism
IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD: 15 May 2026 – 14 September 2026
GEOGRAPHICAL FOCUS: Muqur District and Qala-e-Naw City, Badghis Province
DONOR: Danish Emergency Relief Fund (DERF), administered by CISU
GRANT HOLDER: Rebuild Aid Forening, Denmark
LOCAL IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION: Saifrood Unity and Aid Organization (SUAO)
TARGET GROUP: 220 highly vulnerable households affected by severe flooding
Project Overview
Following exceptionally heavy rainfall, severe floods struck several communities in Badghis Province, damaging homes, agricultural land, crops, livestock, irrigation systems and other essential livelihood assets. Families that were already experiencing poverty and food insecurity suddenly lost shelter, income, food production and the limited resources on which their survival depended.
In response, Saifrood Unity and Aid Organization is implementing an emergency cash assistance intervention in partnership with Rebuild Aid Forening and with financial support from the Danish Emergency Relief Fund.
The project is supporting 220 flood-affected households across nine severely affected communities in Muqur District and Qala-e-Naw City. Through unrestricted cash assistance, each household can decide how to address its most urgent needs according to its own circumstances, rather than receiving a standard package that may not reflect its priorities.
The intervention combines rapid humanitarian assistance with transparent beneficiary selection, community engagement, monitoring, accountability and post-distribution follow-up.
Humanitarian Context
The floods caused widespread damage across affected areas of Badghis Province. Some families lost part or all of their homes, while others suffered severe damage to agricultural fields, standing crops, livestock and household possessions.
For rural households that depend heavily on agriculture and livestock, these losses had consequences far beyond the immediate destruction. Families faced reduced food availability, loss of income, increased debt and limited capacity to recover before the next agricultural season.
The disaster also intensified existing vulnerabilities. Households headed by women, families with young children, older persons, persons with disabilities, daily labourers and families without stable income were particularly exposed to hunger, inadequate shelter, health risks and further displacement.
A rapid and flexible response was therefore required to prevent affected households from adopting harmful coping strategies such as selling remaining productive assets, taking on unsustainable debt, reducing food consumption or leaving their communities in search of assistance.
Geographic Coverage
The project covers nine flood-affected communities:
Muqur District
- Chah Kabli
- Miranzai
- Zad Ali Sofla
- Zad Ali Ulya
- Andaran
- Kahshaniha
- Mohammadzai
Qala-e-Naw City
- Tapa Eidgah
- Jar Bozkashi
These communities were selected following field assessments and consultation with local authorities, community representatives and affected residents.
Target Population and Vulnerability Criteria
The project targets 220 households whose homes, livelihoods or essential assets were severely affected by flooding.
Beneficiary selection is based on transparent humanitarian criteria, including:
- Severity of damage to homes and productive assets
- Loss of agricultural land, crops or livestock
- Lack of regular income
- Female-headed households
- Households with older persons
- Families including persons with disabilities
- Households with young children
- Families with urgent health or protection concerns
- Households without access to sufficient external assistance
SUAO field teams conduct registration, household verification and vulnerability assessment before finalising beneficiary lists. Community representatives and relevant authorities are consulted to support transparency, while final selection remains based on documented humanitarian need.
Emergency Unrestricted Cash Assistance
Each selected household receives an unrestricted cash grant equivalent to approximately three months of essential living expenses.
Cash assistance allows families to determine their own priorities. Depending on household circumstances, the support may be used for:
- Food and drinking water
- Temporary shelter or minor home repairs
- Healthcare and medicine
- Clothing and essential household items
- Transportation
- Agricultural recovery
- Livestock-related expenses
- Repayment of urgent crisis-related debt
- Other immediate family needs
This approach recognises that no two households experience a disaster in exactly the same way. A family whose home has been damaged may prioritise shelter materials, while another may need medicine, food or support to restore a source of income.
By providing flexibility and choice, unrestricted cash assistance supports dignity, autonomy and more relevant household-level recovery.
Key Project Activities
The intervention includes:
- Rapid field assessments in flood-affected communities
- Humanitarian needs and vulnerability analysis
- Household registration and verification
- Transparent beneficiary selection
- Community consultation and information-sharing
- Delivery of unrestricted emergency cash assistance
- Coordination with provincial and district authorities
- Engagement with community elders and local councils
- Distribution monitoring and beneficiary verification
- Post-Distribution Monitoring
- Complaints and feedback management
- Documentation of results, challenges and lessons learned
Community Engagement and Coordination
SUAO works closely with relevant stakeholders throughout implementation, including:
- The Department of Economy in Badghis Province
- Muqur District authorities
- Village Affairs representatives
- Community elders
- Local councils
- Community representatives
- Other relevant humanitarian stakeholders
Before assistance is delivered, communities receive information about the project objectives, eligibility criteria, registration process, assistance modality, distribution arrangements and available complaints and feedback channels.
This engagement helps reduce misunderstandings, supports fair access and strengthens confidence in the humanitarian process.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
A structured Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning framework is integrated throughout the project.
SUAO’s MEAL and programme teams monitor implementation through:
- Field monitoring visits
- Verification of beneficiary records
- Review of vulnerability assessment data
- Observation of cash distributions
- Data quality and consistency checks
- Beneficiary interviews
- Follow-up with selected households
- Monitoring of complaints and feedback
- Review of emerging protection concerns
- Documentation of operational learning
Monitoring information is reviewed regularly to identify implementation gaps and determine whether corrective action is required.
The MEAL process also supports compliance with donor requirements and strengthens the evidence available for future emergency programming.
Post-Distribution Monitoring
Following cash distributions, SUAO conducts Post-Distribution Monitoring with a representative sample of beneficiary households.
The PDM process examines:
- Whether beneficiaries received the intended amount
- Whether the assistance was delivered safely and respectfully
- How households used the cash
- Whether the support addressed priority needs
- Beneficiary satisfaction with the process
- Accessibility of the distribution mechanism
- Any protection or security concerns
- Changes in household coping strategies
- Whether recipients were aware of complaints channels
- Recommendations for improving future assistance
PDM findings will be analysed and documented as part of the project’s learning and accountability process. Where concerns or implementation gaps are identified, SUAO will use the findings to make necessary adjustments and strengthen future cash-based responses.
Because the intervention is still ongoing, final PDM findings should be added to the website after the monitoring process and final analysis are completed.
Accountability to Affected Populations
SUAO is committed to ensuring that affected people are informed, consulted and able to raise concerns safely.
Beneficiaries receive clear information about:
- The purpose of the project
- Eligibility and selection criteria
- The value and nature of the assistance
- Distribution dates and locations
- Their right to receive assistance without payment or favour
- Available feedback and complaints channels
- Confidentiality and data protection
Community members may submit feedback, complaints or concerns through SUAO’s established Complaints and Feedback Mechanism.
All complaints are registered, assessed and addressed according to their nature and level of sensitivity. Safeguarding, exploitation, abuse, fraud and corruption concerns are referred through confidential and authorised reporting pathways.
No beneficiary is required to pay, provide a favour or share assistance in exchange for selection.
Protection and Safeguarding
Protection principles are integrated into registration, verification, distribution and follow-up activities.
Special consideration is given to:
- Women-headed households
- Children
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- People with serious medical needs
- Families without safe shelter
- Households facing heightened protection risks
SUAO teams are expected to engage respectfully with all community members and protect personal information collected during the project.
Distribution arrangements are organised to reduce overcrowding, waiting time, exclusion and exposure to unnecessary risks.
Expected and Emerging Results
The intervention is designed to achieve the following results:
- 220 flood-affected households receive emergency cash assistance.
- Families in nine communities across Muqur District and Qala-e-Naw City are reached.
- Households gain the ability to meet urgent needs according to their own priorities.
- Immediate risks related to hunger, inadequate shelter, illness and harmful coping strategies are reduced.
- Beneficiary selection and distribution processes remain transparent and accountable.
- Community members have access to complaints and feedback mechanisms.
- SUAO strengthens its capacity in cash programming, MEAL, PDM, beneficiary verification and disaster response.
- Lessons from the intervention inform future emergency preparedness and humanitarian programming.
Final achievements and verified results should be updated following completion of the project and final PDM analysis.
Humanitarian Impact
The project provides timely support to families whose lives and livelihoods were severely disrupted by flooding.
For affected households, cash assistance offers more than immediate financial relief. It gives families the freedom to make decisions based on their actual needs, helping restore a degree of control during a period marked by loss and uncertainty.
The support is expected to reduce pressure on household budgets, prevent further deterioration of living conditions and help families begin the first stages of recovery.
By supporting households before they are forced to sell remaining assets, take on excessive debt or leave their communities, the intervention also contributes to reducing the risk of deeper and more prolonged humanitarian vulnerability.
Locally Led Implementation
SUAO’s presence in western Afghanistan enables the intervention to be grounded in local knowledge, community relationships and direct field access.
SUAO is responsible for:
- Community engagement
- Field assessments
- Beneficiary registration
- Vulnerability verification
- Cash delivery arrangements
- Monitoring and follow-up
- Complaints and feedback handling
- Coordination with local stakeholders
- Post-Distribution Monitoring
- Documentation of results and learning
This locally led approach allows the project to respond to community realities while maintaining humanitarian standards and donor accountability.
Partnership
The intervention brings together complementary capacities.
Rebuild Aid Forening provides grant management, donor compliance, financial oversight and technical support.
Saifrood Unity and Aid Organization leads implementation in Badghis Province through its local presence, operational experience, community relationships and field-based humanitarian teams.
DERF, administered by CISU, provides the rapid funding required to respond within the limited window following the disaster.
This partnership demonstrates how international funding, diaspora engagement and local humanitarian leadership can combine to deliver timely and accountable emergency assistance.
Sustainability and Recovery
Although the project is an emergency intervention, it contributes to longer-term recovery by helping households protect remaining assets, avoid harmful coping mechanisms and make informed decisions about their next steps.
The project also strengthens:
- Local coordination systems
- Community awareness of humanitarian accountability
- SUAO’s cash-assistance procedures
- Beneficiary registration and verification systems
- MEAL and PDM capacity
- Preparedness for future disasters
- Institutional learning within SUAO
The knowledge generated through field implementation and post-distribution monitoring will support stronger future responses in Badghis and other disaster-prone provinces.
Learning
The intervention reinforces several important humanitarian lessons:
Cash assistance protects dignity and choice
Unrestricted cash enables families to respond to their actual needs rather than receiving identical items regardless of household circumstances.
Transparent selection is essential
Clear vulnerability criteria, documented verification and community communication are necessary to build confidence and reduce the risk of exclusion or favouritism.
Community engagement improves implementation
Early consultation with affected communities, authorities and local representatives supports safer distributions and better understanding of project procedures.
Monitoring must continue after distribution
PDM is essential for understanding whether assistance achieved its purpose, whether beneficiaries faced challenges and how future interventions can be improved.
Local presence enables faster response
SUAO’s field access and established community relationships allow needs to be identified and addressed more rapidly.
Accountability strengthens trust
Accessible complaints and feedback mechanisms ensure that affected people are not only recipients of assistance but active participants in improving the response.
Conclusion
The Emergency Response to Flood-Affected Households in Badghis Province reflects SUAO’s commitment to timely, principled and locally led humanitarian action.
By combining unrestricted cash assistance with transparent selection, community engagement, MEAL, Post-Distribution Monitoring and accountability mechanisms, the project seeks not only to meet immediate needs but also to protect dignity, strengthen trust and generate practical learning for future emergencies.
Through the partnership between Saifrood Unity and Aid Organization, Rebuild Aid Forening and DERF/CISU, 220 highly vulnerable households are being supported as they begin recovering from the devastating effects of flooding in Badghis Province.