Middle East and North Africa
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Feasibility of Achieving Resilience by Linking Vulnerable Populations Receiving Humanitarian CVA to Development and Social Protection
Report
This report evaluates the capacities for establishing linkages between humanitarian CVA and state-led social protection in Iraq, Libya and Yemen.
Rapid Reflection on the Scale up of Cash Coordination- Türkiye/ Syria Earthquakes
Report
This rapid reflection piece looks at how cash coordination structures scaled up at the onset of the Türkiye/ Syria Earthquakes in February 2023. The short reports look at implications and good practices implemented by cash working groups in Türkiye, North West Syria, and Government-controlled areas of Syria; where they can also be relevant learning for other crises.
Locally-Led Responses to Cash and Voucher Assistance in the Middle East and North Africa: Barriers, progress and opportunities
Case Study
This research highlights moments of tension between the reported commitment of the humanitarian sector towards localization and the actual steps implemented to advance locally-led CVA. Subsequently, recommendations emphasize the responsibilities of the sector in order to expand locally-led approaches in an inclusive and practical way.
Investigating Operational Models for Multi-purpose Cash Delivery and Links to Social Protection: Spotlight on the Middle East and North Africa
Report
This piece of research looked at six case studies in the MENA region where CVA is being delivered at scale. It looked at the characteristics of the operational models of delivering multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA), and how that enables (or not) links with existing national social protection systems. The research found that there’s no one model that enables links between humanitarian MPCA...
Cash Working Group De-activation in Iraq
Case Study
The humanitarian context in Iraq has evolved significantly in the past years, advancing towards recovery and sustainability for the conflict-affected population. During 2022, the humanitarian coordination structure worked on a process to phase out, in line with the transitional context. Clusters and the Cash Working Group (CWG) designed exit strategies that concluded with their de-activation...
Multi-purpose cash assistance for Lebanese – Inter-agency Joint Learning Event Learning Brief
Case Study
On June 27th 2023, Mercy Corps co-organized with Acted, Concern and Oxfam a learning event on the implementation of Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) interventions for Lebanese. While the MPCA modality has been initiated and designed around the assistance to refugees, the provision of unconditional cash assistance for Lebanese is a recent development in the country. This requires an...
Cash for Rent Guidelines for Yemen
Guidelines and Tools
Since the start of a civil conflict in Yemen in March 2015, the country has remained in a state of emergency. Ongoing fighting and military activities have made it challenging for humanitarian workers to reach affected populations and meet their basic needs, such as food, water, and shelter. Displaced persons often live with relatives, friends, or in collective shelters that offer inadequate...
An Integrated Approach to Menstrual Hygiene Management: Awareness sessions and cash assistance for women and girls affected by crisis in Lebanon
Case Study
In 2022, UNFPA Lebanon worked with local partners to launch an integrated cash and awareness for menstrual hygiene management (MHM) initiative as a way to tackle the growing issue of period poverty amidst the country’s economic crisis. Through the pilot, over 2,600 vulnerable women and girls of reproductive age received cash assistance intended to cover the purchase of monthly menstrual...
UNFPA’s approach to CVA in the Arab region and Türkiye
Policy paper
UNFPA experience in different humanitarian contexts has shown that cash and voucher assistance (CVA) is a powerful instrument that can save lives, alleviate risks, and help women and girls escape abusive environments. By giving women and girls greater access to vital services and empowering them with the freedom to choose, UNFPA has found that CVA can directly contribute to the realisation of...
Conflict sensitive cash assistance in Lebanon: Conflict sensitivity toolbox 1
Guidelines and Tools
The Conflict Sensitivity Toolbox series is produced under UNDP Lebanon’s Tension Monitoring System. The toolbox forms part of the conflict sensitivity mainstreaming work under the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) and has been produced in collaboration with House of Peace. In 2021, three Lebanon-specific guidance notes were developed to provide partners with practical tips for getting...
Survival minimum expenditure basket, minimum expenditure basket, gap analysis and transfer values for cash programming
Case Study
The CWG in Iraq has updated the SMEB and has designed a new MEB and gap analysis to inform the transfer values for cash programming in 2023. This document is a technical note with the summary of the values and the methodology.
With the coordination and technical support of CashCap and the Data analysis of REACH-Initiative.
Integrating Cash Assistance into Gender-Based Violence Case Management to Support GBV Survivors and Individuals at Risk in Jordan
Case Study
With support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) and CARE are leading an initiative on behalf of the Global Protection Cluster (GPC) Task Team on Cash for Protection (TTC4P) to expand access among field-level
practitioners to the requisite knowledge, skills, guidance, and tools to integrate cash and voucher assistance (CVA) and...
Integrating Cash Assistance into Gender-based Violence Case Management to Support GBV Survivors and Individuals at Risk in Jordan Snapshot
Case Study
Jordan is home to the second largest refugee population per capita in the world. The country’s population of 10,571,602 includes more than 760,000 refugees registered with the UN refugee agency. More than 80 percent live in urban areas rather than in refugee camps.
A recent assessment by CARE Jordan found that the lack of income opportunities, COVID-19, and community conflict were the most...
Integrating Cash Assistance into Gender-based Violence Case Management: Learnings from Colombia, Ecuador, and Northwest Syria
Case Study
In 2020-2022, WRC partnered with CARE in three locations, Ecuador, Colombia and Syria, to better understand the use of CVA in GBV case management. In Guayaquil, Ecuador, WRC and CARE worked with
three Ecuadorian organizations to strengthen the capacity of GBV service providers to use CVA within case management in response to intimate partner violence for migrant, refugee, and local...
Leaving No One Behind: Evidence from Lebanon on How Multi-purpose Cash Beneficiaries with Different Vulnerability Profiles Spend Income and Access Services
Case Study
This study aims to generate a more in-depth and nuanced understanding of the impact of MPC assistance on Syrian refugee households with different vulnerability profiles, and explores how complementary interventions can support severely vulnerable households to meet their basic needs and address issues beyond the reach of cash. Generating evidence on this topic will support WFP, donors, and...
Transitioning out of Humanitarian Cash Assistance in Iraq: Critical Actions to Ensure Gender-based Violence Risks are Mitigated and Prevented throughout the Transition
Case Study
In light of ongoing efforts to transition away from humanitarian Cash assistance in Iraq, a two-day workshop took place in Erbil on June 22 which gathered more than 32 gender-based violence (GBV) and cash and voucher assistance (CVA) actors with the goal of identifying priorities for the transition period related to GBV mainstreaming in humanitarian Cash and Social Protection assistance. This...
From Risk to Choice: Cash within GBV Case Management in Jordan
Case Study
In 2021, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Jordan piloted the integration of cash assistance within gender-based violence (GBV) programming. The pilot targeted GBV survivors and women at risk of GBV – including Jordanians, Syrian refugees and refugees of other nationalities – within the framework of GBV case management. Two modalities were used: one-off Emergency Cash...
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World Food Programme Multipurpose Cash Assistance in Lebanon: Social cohesion and stability between Syrian refugees and host communities
Report
Conducted by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in partnership with the Cash Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Organisational Network (CAMEALEON). In 2018 and 2019, CAMEALEON partnered with ODI to examine the role of World Food Programme’s multi-purpose cash programme in shaping...
World Food Programme Multipurpose Cash Assistance in Lebanon: Protection outcomes for Syrian refugees
Report
Conducted by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in partnership with the Cash Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Organisational Network (CAMEALEON). In 2018 and 2019, CAMEALEON partnered with ODI to examine the role of the World Food Programme’s Multipurpose Cash Assistance...
Introduction to Market Based Programming in Emergency WASH
Webinar
Cash-for-Health Standard Operating Procedures Medair Jordan
Guidelines and Tools
In November 2015, Medair initiated a cash-for-health (C4H) programme in Jordan as a way for vulnerable Syrian refugees to overcome the financial barriers to accessing healthcare in Jordan. A set of standards to deliver C4H has been developed based on past programme experience and this document...
Readiness Checklist for Cash Working Groups in light of COVID-19 Response – Version 2
Guidelines and Tools
This checklist is designed to assist CWGs adjust their plans and prepare to play an enhanced role in coordination of CVA in the context of increasing (and in some cases unprecedented) needs and limitations of COVID-19. Responses should, as ever, be context specific. We suggest that CWGs consider the...
Multi-purpose Cash Assistance in Lebanon – Impact evaluation on the well-being of Syrian refugees
Report
The two year study assessed the impact of MPC on the well-being of over 11,000 Syrian refugee households living in the Bekaa, North and Mount Lebanon. The study finds that most of the impact of MPC materializes in the long term (over 12 months), while limited impact materializes in the short term. The...
Webinar | Multi-purpose Cash Transfer and Child Protection: a case study (English and Spanish editions)
Webinar recording
Watch the webinar recording here. More information here. In 2018, with the support of OFDA and FFP, Save the Children implemented a multi-purpose cash transfer ‘Plus’ program in response to the influx of Venezuelan into Colombia. The program aimed at covering vulnerable household’s basic needs and...
Sectoral Analysis Activities and Risk Mapping
Guidelines and Tools
This resource maps the risks, activities and impact of delivering Multi-Purpose Cash (MPC) assistance in the current COVID-19 response.
Position Paper: Humanitarian Access for CVA Delivery
Guidelines and Tools
This position paper is intended to advocate for exemptions to movement restrictions for stakeholders involved in the delivery of humanitarian cash assistance in response to COVID-19 crisis. It includes advocacy messages from cash working groups (CWG), inter-cluster coordination groups (ICCG) and the...
Public health and social measures for Covid19 prepardness and response in low capcity and humanitarian context
Guidelines and Tools
Utilizing Cash and Voucher Assistance within Gender-based Violence Case Management to Support Crisis-Affected Populations in Ecuador
Report
With support from Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Women’s Refugee Commission and CARE partnered to advance the Call to Action Roadmap by strengthening the capacity of GBV and CVA service providers in Ecuador to leverage CVA within case management services in the prevention of and response to...
CVA and COVID19 TipSheet
Guidelines and Tools
While the Gaza Strip has not experienced a violent outbreak of COVID19 cases, secondary and indirect effects of the measures necessary to prevent the spread of the virus have impacted the regular humanitarian work implemented in the area.
This note aims at collecting learning, practices and initiatives...
Guidance for CVA Response Plan for The COVID-19 Pandemic
Guidelines and Tools
This document from the Damascus CWG provides guidance intended for CVA practitioners preparing a response plan for COVID-19. It includes a sections on humanitarian needs analysis, response approach, coordination mechanisms.
Cash Transfers and Cash Plus Interventions in Yemen since 2015: An Annotated Bibliography
Report
This report presents an annotated bibliography of cash transfers and cash plus interventions that have been instituted in Yemen’s humanitarian and development sectors since 2015. Before the outbreak of conflict in Yemen in 2015, the Social Welfare Fund (SWF) was the country’s flagship social...
Applying Behavioral Science to Humanitarian Cash camp; Voucher Assistance for Better Outcomes for Women
Report
Cash and voucher assistance (CVA) is widely recognized as an effective and powerful tool in humanitarian settings. Recent innovation in humanitarian CVA has sought to increase efficiency by harmonizing procedures and improving delivery through new technology; these
innovations have cut costs while...
Behavioral Design Checklist for Humanitarian Cash and Voucher Assistance Improving Outcomes for Women
Guidelines and Tools
This checklist highlights designs for humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA) that can increase the impact
of CVA for women recipients in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The goal of the design principles presented is to optimize CVA to help recipients effectively spend the transfer...
Cash as a core component of the COVID-19 Response in Iraq
Policy paper
The COVID-19 pandemic and the containment measures imposed to limit transmission have both severe immediate and long-term economic consequences. The globe is experiencing ‘one of the sharpest economic contractions in modern times.’ As always in a time of crisis, it is the
most vulnerable that will...
LOUISE Learning Review
Report
This report presents the outcomes of the learning review on the Lebanon One Unified Inter-Organizational System for E-cards (LOUISE) platform commissioned by UNICEF on behalf of the LOUISE agencies (WFP, UNHCR, UNICEF) in 2019 to build on the LOUISE experience and conduct a stock-taking exercise. The...
Cost-Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness Study of UNICEF “Cash Plus” Interventions in Lebanon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Policy paper
The combination of basic services delivery and cash transfers is known among humanitarian practitioner as “cash plus”. This approach represents a solid comparative advantage for UNICEF considering its footprint in basic services delivery as well as its commitment to scale up humanitarian cash...
Cash Feasibility Assessment for NorthWest Syria
Report
The objective of this cash feasibility assessment for northwest Syria is to provide evidence-based, structured analysis of the various dimensions that make cash and vouchers interventions feasible. The primary audience for this document are all the organizations either currently involved in cash-based...
