Human Mobility
Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) is frequently used to meet the needs of migrants in crisis. This page serves as a space to house materials connected to CVA and migration.
The Red Cross is preparing to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants ready to depart Honduras for Guatemala as part of a migrant caravan.
©Johannes Chinchilla / IFRC.
Conflict, economic crisis and natural disasters have forced people on arduous and risky journeys across multiple borders in search of safety, security and livelihoods. In 2020, the number of people forcibly displaced soared to a record high of over 80 million – nearly double the number a decade earlier. This trend is worsening and the effects of climate change threaten to displace up to 200 million people by 2050.
Increasingly, cash and voucher assistance (CVA) is being used to meet the needs of people on the move. It has been used at scale in various contexts from the 2015 European migration crises to ‘los caminantes’ from Venezuela. Equally, it has been used in other mixed migration crises, such as Central America, the Sahel, the Mediterranean, and the Horn of Africa. Currently, CVA is one of the main forms of assistance to the displaced populations in Ukraine and the surroundings countries.
There are many perspectives and definitions about what it means to be a migrant and how humanitarians should respond. Intentionally, we are not using a single definition for now as the discussion on CVA and migration is in its early stages a language is evolving.
Documenting and sharing evidence will help improve response effectiveness. This page houses a useful selection of resources related to migrants and the use of CVA. It will be updated as conversations evolve within humanitarian CVA spaces.
Current priorities
We aim to contribute to progress on this issue by:
- Supporting evidence generation at regional and global levels;
- contributing to practical solutions to delivering CVA to migrant populations; and
- convening evidence-based discussion on the key issues.
Featured content
Mapping a Route-Based Approach to CVA: Feasibility in select contexts in the Americas
Report
This research looks at the feasibility of a route-based approach to CVA in the Americas, presenting its potential through three perspectives: people on the move, humanitarian organizations, and financial service providers (FSP).
People are on the move: Can the world of CVA keep up? Analysis of the use of CVA in the context of human mobility in the Americas
Report
This study proposes a new vision for the implementation of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) in contexts of human mobility in the Americas region.
Four Reasons to Use a Route-Based Approach to Cash and Voucher Assistance
Blog Post
With human mobility being a fact of most humanitarian crises, is it time to change from a country to a route-based approach? With four key points, Holly Welcome Radice argues the time for a route-based approach has arrived.
This is not a drill: Cash and human mobility
Blog Post
In this blog Paula Gil Baizan presents three new lenses through which we can view human mobility. She outlines how these lenses intersect with Cash and Voucher Assistance with a particular focus on the Americas.
Event Report: The feasibility of a route-based approach with CVA: The case of Guatemala
Meeting minutes
In 2022, CALP recognized the importance of human mobility and CVA and invited its network to contribute to the evidence and debate. CALP conducted the study People are on the move: Can the world of CVA keep up? Analysis of the use of CVA in the context of human mobility in the Americas examined the use of CVA with people on the move. It also conducted several online exchanges on human mobility...
Onward Bound: Evaluating Cash and Voucher Assistance for Migrants on Sahel’s Migration Trail – Research and learnings from the Sahel region
Report
This research – a collaboration between the British Red Cross and Samuel Hall – provides evidence on the opportunities and challenges to integrate cash and vouchers assistance (CVA) as a support modality in migration programming in the context of transit migration in the Sahel. While CVA has become increasingly common and popular among implementing agencies and donors, there is limited...
DIGNIFYING, DIVERSE AND DESIRED: CASH AND VOUCHERS AS HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR MIGRANTS
Report
This report looks at the use of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) in supporting migrants. This report includes a baseline review of the use of CVA in the IFRC’s past and current operations assisting migrants, finding that in a 42-month period between 2018 and 2021, CVA was used in 25 per cent of the IFRC’s emergency responses assisting migrants. The report highlights over 35 diverse...
CVA in Migration Context – Voices of Migrants in Niger
Report
On 24–31 August 2021, the Niger Red Cross, supported by the IFRC, conducted a survey with 35 migrants in neighbourhoods around the capital city of Niamey to ask about their views on CVA, their preferences, and their views on digital identities. This report provides a summary of the responses from the migrant communities.
CASH ON THE MOVE – Adapting Multi-Purpose Cash ‘Plus’ Assistance to support people on the move in Peru
Report
In 2019 and 2020, with the support of USAID´s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (formerly FFP and OFDA), Save the Children implemented
a multi-purpose cash ‘Plus’ program in response to the influx of Venezuelan migrants into Peru.
Households that were only transiting through the cities where they were identified were provided with a one-off cash transfer assistance aiming
at covering...
Cash Transfers Programs and Human Mobility: Sharing experiences, debates, and learnings
Report
Cash Transfers have been one of the commitments of the Grand Bargain in which significant progress has been made. It should be noted that the challenges posed by different humanitarian contexts also oblige us to improve and revise these modalities of assistance in complex situations. The large flows of human mobility urgently require a design of solutions focused on transforming the system for...
IOM Cash-Based Interventions Annual Report and Case Studies 2020
Case Study
The IOM Cash-Based Interventions (CBI) Annual Report and Case Studies 2020 features case studies from a large number of missions that implemented CBI in 2020 and highlights the increasing use of cash and voucher assistance in IOM, reaching more than 1.6 million beneficiaries in 56 countries. The case studies give an overview of the broad range of CBI implemented by IOM and are divided into...
CVA in migration context – Voices of migrants in Kenya
Report
This report summarizes community consultations that were conducted in Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei integrated settlement. It introduces the local context and the current user journey, experiences and preferences around cash and voucher assistance and digital identity solutions.
Thematic Leads
Latest
Onward Bound: Evaluating Cash and Voucher Assistance for Migrants on Sahel’s Migration Trail – Research and learnings from the Sahel region
Report
This research – a collaboration between the British Red Cross and Samuel Hall – provides evidence on the opportunities and challenges to integrate cash and vouchers assistance (CVA) as a support modality in migration programming in the context of transit migration in the Sahel. While CVA has become...
Open Partner Survey for Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) in Response to a Crisis
Report
The open partner survey for cash and voucher assistance (CVA) in response to a crisis is a collaborative effort between REDLAC and the Regional Cash Working Group (R4V), with technical support from CashCap/NORCAP and the participation of multiple organizations. This report provides an analysis of the...
Ukraine: Unlocking a more effective humanitarian response (Presentation)
Presentation
This slide deck was used in the 8 February 2023 webinar organised by CALP, Ground Truth Solutions and Humanitarian Outcomes title: “Ukraine: Unlocking a more effective humanitarian response”. Agenda Brief presentations Key findings from Ground Truth Solutions, Marina Key findings from the Ukraine...
Why you need a plan A, B and C: Using cash in hard-to-reach contexts
Blog Post
Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) can be a valuable response choice in hard-to-reach areas, but it must be properly adapted to context with sufficient investment given to preparedness. Mirko Tommasi explains how preparing multiple plans, being flexible and ready to change plans fast and frequently is...
Food Security Interventions among Refugees around the Globe: A scoping review
Report
There are 26 million refugees globally, with as many as 80% facing food insecurity irrespective of location. Food insecurity results in malnutrition beginning at an early age and disproportionately affects certain groups such as women. Food security is a complex issue and must consider gender, policies,...
Evidence of impact research study: Cash and voucher assistance in Niger
Case Study
While in-kind assistance constitutes the bulk of humanitarian aid globally, Cash and voucher assistance (CVA) is quickly gaining ground among donors and practitioners. Between 2014 and 2020, the share of CVA-based support within the overall humanitarian assistance portfolio) increased 4.5 times — from...
CVA for people on the move: Time for a new vision?
Event
If you are interested in deepening your understanding of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) in the response to people on the move, including migrants, refugees and displaced persons, this event should be on your agenda. We invite you to explore our recent study, “People are on the move: can the world of...
CVA for people on the move: Time for a new vision?
Webinar recording
This event presented the main findings of our recently released study People are on the move: Can the world of CVA keep up? Analysis of the use of CVA in the context of human mobility in the Americas. Additionally, invited guests discussed key issues on facing the topic of human mobility and CVA and...
Episode 8: CVA- catching up with people on the move in the Americas
Podcast
In this episode we explore with experts the topic of humanitarian responses in contexts of human mobility. We discuss the challenges as well as the opportunities and innovations that exist when it comes toto effectively delivering recipient centered CVA in the Americas.
This is not a drill: Cash and human mobility
Blog Post
In this blog Paula Gil Baizan presents three new lenses through which we can view human mobility. She outlines how these lenses intersect with Cash and Voucher Assistance with a particular focus on the Americas.
People are on the move: Can the world of CVA keep up? Analysis of the use of CVA in the context of human mobility in the Americas
Report
This study proposes a new vision for the implementation of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) in contexts of human mobility in the Americas region.
Integrated Cash and Gender-Based Violence Programming for IPV Survivors in Guayaquil, Ecuador
Case Study
Migrant and refugee women and girls are vulnerable to a range of risks before, during, and after humanitarian crises. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a type of gender-based violence (GBV) and is among the many protection-specific risks they face. As a result of the conflict in Venezuela, an estimated...
Digital Feast and Famine: Digital Technologies and Humanitarian Law in Food Security, Starvation and Famine Risk
Report
This working paper presents the findings of a brief exploratory study into the role of digital technologies in International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and its implications for starvation and famine risk. It is a work in progress, intended to raise issues rather than reach definitive conclusions (given the...
DIGNIFYING, DIVERSE AND DESIRED: CASH AND VOUCHERS AS HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR MIGRANTS
Report
This report looks at the use of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) in supporting migrants. This report includes a baseline review of the use of CVA in the IFRC’s past and current operations assisting migrants, finding that in a 42-month period between 2018 and 2021, CVA was used in 25 per cent of the...
CVA in migration context – Voices of migrants in Kenya
Report
This report summarizes community consultations that were conducted in Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei integrated settlement. It introduces the local context and the current user journey, experiences and preferences around cash and voucher assistance and digital identity solutions.
CVA in Migration Context – Voices of Migrants in Niger
Report
On 24–31 August 2021, the Niger Red Cross, supported by the IFRC, conducted a survey with 35 migrants in neighbourhoods around the capital city of Niamey to ask about their views on CVA, their preferences, and their views on digital identities. This report provides a summary of the responses from the...
CVA in migration context – Voices of Migrants in Colombia
Report
This report looks at the use of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) in supporting migrants. This report includes a baseline review of the use of CVA in the IFRC’s past and current operations assisting migrants, finding that in a 42-month period between 2018 and 2021, CVA was used in 25 per cent of the...
Field Handbook for Rental Housing Market Assessment – Latin America and the Caribbean
Guidelines and Tools
The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and REACH with the support of CashCap/NORCAP and the collaboration of the R4V Shelter Sector, established...
CASH ON THE MOVE – Adapting Multi-Purpose Cash ‘Plus’ Assistance to support people on the move in Peru
Report
In 2019 and 2020, with the support of USAID´s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (formerly FFP and OFDA), Save the Children implemented
a multi-purpose cash ‘Plus’ program in response to the influx of Venezuelan migrants into Peru.
Households that were only transiting through the cities where they...
Cash and Voucher Assistance – Refugee and Migrant Response for Venezuelans Open Survey
Report
The objective is to promote reflection on the role of CVA in the 2021 Strategic Response Planning process for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela. The RCWG made available an open survey to capture the opinion of the partners on to what extent systematic integration of CVA as a modality, in the...
