The Use of Cash Transfers in Livestock Emergencies and their Incorporation into Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS)

This paper reviews the use of cash transfers within the livestock sector and suggests how they can be incorporated into and support Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS).

The paper’s structure reflects the stages of the LEGS Handbook as these in turn reflect good project cycle management. The paper provides information on specific cash transfer issues and case studies related to preliminary assessment, response identification, assessment of technical interventions and options, plus monitoring and evaluation. Particular attention is paid to upgrading the LEGS assessment process to include the market assessments that are vital if cash transfers are being considered. The paper refers to two key market assessment tools – the Emergency Market Mapping and Analysis (EMMA) Toolkit and the Market Information and Food Insecurity Response Analysis (MIFIRA) – both of which are considered to be complementary to LEGS. The use of cash transfers in social protection schemes is also discussed, as a form of preparedness against disasters and an opportunity to link emergency response to long term development and therefore relevant to LEGS.