Zimbabwe ‘Cash First’ Humanitarian Response 2015–2017: Evaluation Report

CARE International and World Vision International (WVI) in Zimbabwe implemented the UK Department for International Development (DFID)-funded project ‘Emergency Cash First Response to Drought-Affected Communities in the Southern Provinces of Zimbabwe’ from August 2015 to April 2017. The project transferred an estimated $40.9 million to 73,718 households (about 400,000 people) through mobile money, reaching families that had been selected through community-based targeting and who were living in drought-affected areas.

The Cash First response is potentially a game-changer in a country where food aid has dominated previous relief responses because it solidifies cash transfers as a viable, large-scale alternative to delivering food and offers a potential model for future cash responses.

This external evaluation examines the impact, efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness of the programme.