UNHCR continued to implement rapid needs and vulnerability assessment at the household level with the protection monitoring tool (PMT) in the south, and the initial needs assessment tool (INAT) in the north. UNHCR partners assessed a total of 221,732 households/1,312,238 individuals, collecting data on their socioeconomic situation and key protection risks, among whom 78% were IDPs, 19% were host communities and 3% returnees. The tools were an important element for identification of vulnerable families and individuals. The findings of the assessment also fed into the eligibility scoring of unrestricted cash assistance and rental subsidies, and triggered referral to protection services at community centres including psychosocial support, shelter and core relief items as well as external referrals for food assistance, health care, education and WASH support.
A total of 79% of assessed households had at least one member with a vulnerability. Of those, 16% were children at risk, 35% women at risk, and 20% were unaccompanied older persons. 20% were persons with legal and protection needs, including persons with a death in the family; those with an injury because of conflict; persons exhibiting signs of psychological distress; persons with a protection concern, including arrest or detention; women and girls affected by violence; and persons with other specific needs. 3% were persons with disability. In order to complement the INAT and PMT, UNHCR also developed the rapid protection assessment (RPA) tool to capture protection needs at the community level through qualitative assessment. UNHCR conducted training for all protection partners and RPA was used in several new displacement situations.
Cash assistance represented the one of the main responses to mitigate socioeconomic vulnerability and protection risks. UNHCR ensured accountability and integrity of cash assistance through regular post distribution monitoring and verification exercises. In 2020, UNHCR developed a scoring system designed to evaluate a household's socioeconomic profile as recorded during the INAT/ PMT assessment. By ascribing different weights to specific elements, the scoring formula prioritized households with little to no income, larger family sizes (7+), those living in substandard shelters, and other indicators related to a household’s protection risks and vulnerabilities. As a result, 91,821 households received unrestricted cash assistance. Among 40,932 older persons assessed, 9,559 (23%) received unrestricted cash assistance. Moreover, 10% of all beneficiaries were women at risk and 3% were persons with disabilities.
UNHCR adopted the survival minimum expenditure basket (SMEB) of the Cash and Market Working Group as its unrestricted cash assistance transfer value - 101,000 YER replacing the former transfer value of 100,000 YER. In the southern Governorates, to compensate for the weaker currency and rising costs, UNHCR adopted the recommended SMEB of 117,000 YER. The SMEB has been rigorously calculated on the cost of items and services within the food security, WASH, shelter, and health sectors.
According to the PDM exercise, most recipients of unrestricted cash reported that the assistance improved their living conditions, and 59% preferred cash assistance over in-kind in the future.
Through its protection partners, UNHCR provided psychosocial support to a total of 32,397 people in addition to 2,034 persons with disabilities who also received psychosocial support. In addition, 1,203 people were referred to specialized mental health services.