ODI [to 19 September 2015]
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Give people cash, not goods, to make humanitarian aid more effective
News | 13 September 2015
Humanitarian assistance could be more effective, more efficient and more transparent if aid was given in the form of cash directly to people struggling to survive in crises, according to a high-level panel of experts in a new report published by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Center for Global Development (CGD).

Providing cash means that limited humanitarian aid can go further to help more people in need. That means greater value for money for taxpayers. Cash is also less wasteful as it means aid recipients can decide for themselves exactly what they most need.

The panel found that cash-based aid programmes can improve accountability and transparency of aid while also helping to support local markets and industries.

“Humanitarian organisations owe it to aid recipients and taxpayers to deliver the best possible aid programmes. As the report outlines, cash transfers have the potential to reduce vulnerability, help rebuild lives, and deliver value for money. As part of a broader menu that includes partnerships with the private sector, investment in digital technology, and the development of a more inclusive humanitarian system, cash transfers can transform the effectiveness of humanitarian aid at a time of unprecedented need,” said Kevin Watkins, Executive Director of ODI…