Semi-Annual Report 2 | April-September 2021: Respuesta a la Tormenta para Mayor Resilencia (RETOMAR)

The program aims to empower approximately 3,060 vulnerable families, consisting of 16,521 individuals, to meet their basic needs, including food, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) needs. The program has three main objectives: to provide multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) to 3,060 families, enabling them to meet their basic needs; to enable 3,060 households to return to acceptable living conditions by providing safe, habitable, and appropriate shelter non-food items (SNFIs) and improved settlements conditions; and to improve access to safe water supply and critically-needed WASH NFIs, deliver critical hygiene promotion messaging, and improve environmental health conditions for 16,521 disaster-affected individuals in five municipalities of Huehuetenango. During the reporting period of April 1, 2021, to September 30, 2021, GC distributed three cash transfers in each of the five targeted municipalities, benefiting a total of 3,180 unduplicated families. Each family received $136 in each distribution, for a total distribution of $1,280,712. The program exceeded the projected goal of benefiting 3,060 families, with an approximate of 5.4 members per family. Along with the distribution completed before this reporting period, RETOMAR completed four cash distributions totaling $1,650,904 and reaching 3,180 unduplicated families. The program also distributed $196 cash assistance to 705 brigade members, for a total of $138,180, for 45 days of labor during repairs of 218 houses, community cleaning, vector control, water system repairs, implementation of mitigation measures, and construction materials. The beneficiaries participated in informative sessions on how to utilize their money to prioritize the purchase of healthy foods, hygiene products, and transportation. The program's general performance is reflected in the following statistics: 3,180 unduplicated families benefited from the MPCA distributions, with a total of $1,650,904 distributed; 218 houses were repaired, and 705 brigade members received cash assistance for their labor; and 2,037 individuals benefited from WASH interventions. The RETOMAR program has made significant progress in achieving its objectives, with a strong focus on empowering vulnerable families to meet their basic needs, improving access to safe water supply and WASH NFIs, and delivering critical hygiene promotion messaging. The program's success is evident in the high number of beneficiaries and the significant amount of cash distributed to support their needs. The program's geographic focus is on the northeastern highlands of Guatemala, specifically in the department of Huehuetenango, where 16,521 vulnerable individuals are living in disaster-affected areas. The program's timeframes are from December 9, 2020, to December 9, 2021, with a reporting period of April 1, 2021, to September 30, 2021. The program's implementation details include the distribution of MPCA, shelter and settlements, and WASH interventions, as well as the provision of cash assistance to brigade members for their labor. The program's recommendations for future interventions include continuing to support vulnerable families, improving access to safe water supply and WASH NFIs, and delivering critical hygiene promotion messaging. The program's lessons learned include the importance of empowering vulnerable families to meet their basic needs, improving access to safe water supply and WASH NFIs, and delivering critical hygiene promotion messaging. The program's exit strategy includes a phased withdrawal of support, with a focus on ensuring that beneficiaries are able to sustain their progress and continue to meet their basic needs.