Rehabilitation and provision of productive assets for communities suffering from settler violence and annexati

Objectives

The project will contribute to the HRP strategic objectives 2 amp 3, the HF allocation strategy objective of supporting the livelihoods of food-insecure households in the West Bank and the FSS cluster strategic objective 1 to protect livelihoods of vulnerable households, and restore / enhance their resilience, food security and productive capacity. It will do so by ensuring rehabilitation and provision of productive assets and inputs for farmers owned lands in Area C located in 5 villages in Ramallah Governorate (Budrus, Ni'lin, Qibya, Rantis, and Shuqba). The selected areas are facing specific challenges to cultivate their lands due to different measures imposed by the occupation regime including settler violence, demolition, confiscation, the separation wall, and the annexation plan. The project is based on a needs assessment conducted by PUI in early December 2021 that identified the most pressing needs of vulnerable farmers and communities affected by the Israeli plans of annexation and subject to either settler related incidents or violations from the Israeli forces. In addition, PUI coordinated with FSS, MoA Central and MoA directorate of Ramallah, in order to identify and prioritize FSS needs, priorities, and localities in this Governorate. In order to respond to the identified needs and to contribute to the HRP, HF and cluster objectives of this first allocation, PUI and Al'ard will provide two types of assistance: - Support 330 vulnerable farmers working in lands adjacent to the settlements or the wall, whose livelihoods are threatened by occupation measures. Agricultural roads will be rehabilitated (10 km), which will increase a safe access to lands and contribute to preventing land confiscations. - Provide cisterns to other 10 farmers to enhance the supplementary irrigation to trees and crops in their lands that are subjected to attacks and intimidation from settlers or / and Israeli Forces. -Provide 20 women farmers whose lands are located in areas that require prior coordination with the Israeli authorities to access, or close to the separation wall with olive harvest machines to support the harvesting during olive harvest season. In total, 330 farmers’ households (1617 individuals) will benefit directly from the Action. Selection criteria for those farmers is depending mainly on the socio-economic vulnerability criteria. It is based also on technical criteria including topography of the land, slope percentage, soil depth, land ownership, and planted trees (in addition to protection and vulnerability considerations, including IHL violations, close to settlement, the separation wall, and access restricted areas, female headed-households, households with people with disabilities, etc.). The project will be implemented in partnership with Al'ard and each organization will bring their expertise to the partnership: Al'ard supporting agriculture from a development perspective focusing on water activities and PUI rehabilitating lands and assets, easing access and providing support to farmers with a protection lens through emergency and protective responses to settler-related incidents. Furthermore, the project will complement the Action of the West Bank Protection Consortium by covering a need gap in the provision of assistance and livelihood support to vulnerable farmers in Area C. Besides, PUI will mobilize its Consortium experience (tools, methodology, and network) to strengthen its intervention during the lifetime of the project. PUI will also be vigilant in mainstreaming protection, gender and other cross-cutting issues throughout service provision. By recognizing the different needs, risks, and capacities of different age, gender and diversity (AGD) groups, PUI ensures tailored and safe responses for those who need them the most. Moreover, PUI has a robust reporting and handling system in place for Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) related complaints.