Cash transfer programming in emergencies

One of the more exciting innovations in the response to humanitarian crises of recent years has been the use of cash.  Across the humanitarian sector there is growing recognition that cash and voucher transfers can support people affected by disasters in ways that maintain human dignity, provide access to food and shelter and help rebuild or protect livelihoods. The question is no longer whether cash is an appropriate way to meet the needs of people engulfed in crisis, but how organisations, donors and governments can use cash transfers to best effect.

This edition of Good Practice Review is intended primarily for humanitarian practitioners who plan and implement emergency responses – both those who are already familiar with cash-based interventions and those who are not.  It synthesises cash transfer guidelines, highlights lessons from evaluations and adds practical examples drawn from experience in the field.

Good Practice Review: ‘Cash transfer programming in emergencies’ is commissioned and published by the Humanitarian Practice Network at ODI in partnership with the Cash Learning Partnership (CaLP) with support from the Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

This Good Practice Review has been translated into French and Spanish. Click the ‘Language versions’ tab at the top of the page.