UNICEF’s role in cash transfers to emergency affected households

Contents 2 -History of UNICEF’s engagement in cash transfers to emergency affected households -Challenges in shifting from small-scale / pilot approach to a full fledged component of our “toolkit -Rationale for UNICEF engagement in cash transfers to emergency affected households -Opportunities

A FEW DEFINITIONS (1) 3 Cash transfer programme Emergencies vs Humanitarian Action Core Commitments to Children (CCCs) Emergency cash transfers vs. social protection cash transfers

A FEW DEFINITIONS (2) 4 ConceptDefinition Cash grants Giving people money as a direct grant with no conditions or work requirements. Conditional cash transfers Giving people money, but with a condition that they do something (such as attend school, plant seeds or demobilise). Indirect cash transfers Grants or waivers to reduce the cost of basic services. For example, waivers for health care user fees, etc Cash for work Paying people in cash for taking part in a public works programme, e.g. school construction or digging of latrines. Can be targeted at the most vulnerable. Voucher programmesVoucher programmes Giving people vouchers for a particular type of good (e.g. seeds) or bundle of goods. Main types of cash interventions in emergencies adapted from: Harvey, P.

Scope of UNICEF humanitarian action UNICEF supports countries to respond to over 250 humanitarian situations per year on average 5

Results in million severely malnourished children aged 6–59 months through therapeutic feeding programmes 52.3 million children aged 6 months to 15 years vaccinated for measles Over 18.5 million people with access to safe water to agreed standards Over 2 million children with safe access to community spaces for socializing, play, learning, etc million school-age children, including adolescents receiving formal and non-formal basic education 835,000 pregnant women with access to prevention, care and treatment including PMTCT 6 Supporting national and local systems to reach children in emergencies:

History of UNICEF’s engagement 7

Challenges to scaling-up (1) 8 Managers raised concerns about risks around: -Cost effectiveness -Security Risks -Corruption and Diversion Risks -Anti-Social Use -Gender -Market Impacts -Consumption / Nutrition -Targeting

Challenges to scaling up (2) 9 Cash vs. traditional supply-based responses: -Comfort zone -Visibility -Established Systems What is UNICEF’s comparative advantage? Preparedness? Response vs. Systems

10 The clear case for emergency cash transfer programmes

A Rationale for UNICEF Engagement Cash transfers have a direct and indirect impact on children A tool to deliver on the CCCs : effective relief An alternative in highly insecure and/or hard to reach areas Beyond relief, transformative through increased demand in services Cash transfers are consistent with HRBA (from charity to dignity) / Equity promoting Potential for increased accountability to affected populations Limit negative coping strategies Cash transfers are responsive to household needs (note that this means they are less useful when affected populations are NOT convinced) Cash transfers can support / promote more integrated programme / emergency response Help build the link between humanitarian and development, a tool to promote / support post crisis recovery, resilience building 11

A few caveats What cash transfers to households cannot substitute for Cash / vouchers as a means, not an end Not all things to all people Importance of risk assessments Role of UNICEF can vary 12