Stefania Imperia asks what cash assistance means in practical terms for asylum seekers in Greece. With tens of thousands of refugees and migrants stranded in Greece for an undefined period, providing cash grants to asylum seekers living in the Epirus region of north-west Greece may represent not only an efficient and dignified means to provide humanitarian assistance – but also an …
Cash transfer programming in Zimbabwe
Khodeza Rume, a Humanitarian Support Personnel in Food Security and Livelihoods, reflects on a recent electronic cash programme with the World Food Programme and Econet. With the 2008 financial crash, Zimbabwe suffered a cash crisis and economic collapse which resulted in chronic food insecurity. The situation has since been exacerbated by the effects of El Niño with an estimated 4.1 million …
The value of vouchers: Innovation and empowerment in Iraq
Corrie Sissons introduces a new e-voucher technology helping to meet the unique needs of households living through the Iraq crisis. The changing nature of humanitarian crises in a modern world means that agencies like Oxfam need to adapt to ensure we meet needs in an effective way. Oxfam in Iraq has been piloting a new approach that does just that; …
Cash transfers: A catalogue of solutions
ICT in Programme Humanitarian Advisor, Anna Kondakhchyan reflects on an exciting new initiative designed to help practitioners navigate the ins and outs of electronic cash transfers. s Oxfam increasingly defaults to distributing cash, instead of items, in emergencies we’re seeing more opportunities to provide timely, inclusive, secure and reliable payments through the use of electronic transfers such as mobile money, …
Cash is the answer to change the global aid system
This blog, originally published by CaLP, examines the benefits of cash transfer programmes in response to recent calls for reform of the humanitarian sector, by the UK Secretary of State for International Development. The Guardian published an article describing how Priti Patel, new Secretary of State for International Development in the UK, plans to overhaul the aid system. There are …