Evaluation of ECHO-Funded Cash and Voucher Food Assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo

People in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have long faced protracted conflict and instability resulting in the displacement of populations. In order to provide households affected by new displacements with timely access to food, ECHO funded the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the Association of Volunteers in International Service (AVSI) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to provide food assistance.

The agencies are each partners in the UNICEF Rapid Response to Population Movements (RRMP) programme, a long-running intervention which undertakes assessments and provides rapid assistance in non-food item (NFI) / shelter, education, water and sanitation and health sectors. The RRMP model was conceived with the logic that other aid agencies would complement RRMP with food assistance. This vision has not materialised in practice, prompting ECHO to support NRC, AVSI and IRC to provide food assistance in the form of cash and vouchers – modalities also utilised in RRMP interventions. This evaluation examines the appropriateness and effectiveness of the food assistance intervention, including its complementarity with RRMP, as well as the lessons on the different cash-based food assistance approaches utilised by partners.