What we learned from the nineth Cash Hub Webinar on “Adapting to COVID-19″ with focus on Cash and Voucher Assistance migration.

On the 12^th of August 2020, the IFRC, ICRC, Senegalese Red Cross, Danish Red Cross, and the Egyptian Red Cross led the 9^th Cash Hub Webinar on Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and migration.

Ezekial Simperingham, Migration & Displacement Coordinator at the IFRC Kuala Lumpur, began opened the webinar presenting three major type risks associated with COVID-19 that disproportionately affect refugees, migrants and IDPs: health, socioeconomic, and future risks related mainly to protection. Ezekial. It was also highlighted howCOVID-19 is perpetuating the factors that can lead to these risks and their impact on migrants.

Edouarde Delaplace, Protection Coordinator at the ICRC Dakar, Nicolas Mendy, Project Manager at the  Senegalese Red Cross and Tafsir Seydou Tamba, EcoSec at the Senegalese Red Cross informed the participants of the Accompaniment of Families of Missing Migrants project. The speakers highlighted some of the main challenges perpetuated by COVID-19, while discussing how the ICRC and Senegalese Red Cross work together on tackling issues that would affect migrants, through specific components of the programme. Additionally, the Economic Support Programme, using cash grants to develop livelihoods, was mentioned,. with details on how the grant was distributed and expected humanitarian outcomes.

Brian Brady, Migration Program Delegate at the Danish Red Cross, discussed the main aims of the AMIRA programme (Action for Migrants: Route Based Assistance), while highlighting key activities  of the programme in Guinea focusing on information and protection, psychosocial support , livelihoods  and humanitarian cash assistance. In 2019, the Danish Red Cross began supporting the Guinea Red Cross in setting up structures and processes for an institutionalised cash response in the National Society, bolstering AMIRA’s cash response. It was also highlighted how the cash amount is determined, how its outcomes are reviewed, the various transfer methods, and key learning points from past successes, alongside persistent challenges.

Mohammed El-Keblawy , Project Manager at the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC), and Hamed Mohamed, Field Coordinator at the Egyptian Red Crescent, updated the participants on the ERC’s health care services to migrants and host communities in Greater Cairo, while illustrating the ERC’s response to COVID-19’s consequences, including rent assistance, as well as the provision of food items and hygiene kits. The speakers discussed the ERC’s methodology of intervention, a vulnerability and capacity assessment tool they had created, challenges in their responses and a shift to electronic cash transfer methods.

To register for upcoming webinars, visit the Events page of the Cash Hub platform regularly.

To watch the recording of this  webinar you can click here. More resources related to CVA and COVID-19 can be found on the Cash and COVID-19 dedicated section, while recordings and resources from past webinars can be found on the Cash Hub and COVID-19 Webinar Series page.