Cash and Voucher Assistance Essentials for WASH Cluster Information Managers

CVA refers to all programmes where cash transfers or vouchers for goods or services are directly provided to recipients. In the context of humanitarian assistance, the term refers to the provision of cash transfers or vouchers directly to individuals, household or community recipients; not to governments or other state actors.

Thus, cash transfers made directly to service providers with the objective of strengthening WASH services, such as cash grants to hygiene items traders or to urban water kiosks are considered a form of market or service support and do not fall under the definition of CVA. They should be reported as “services”.