Cash and livelihoods

Livelihoods encompass the capabilities, assets and activities required to make a living. Ensuring that vulnerable households have sustainable livelihoods increases their access to a stable income, as well as their dignity, resilience, and ability to be active in society. Livelihoods support helps people affected by crisis to build more sustainable means of living, develop skills and gain greater access to opportunities.

Cash assistance can be an effective way to protect, restore, or enhance livelihoods which enable people to become self-sufficient and improve wellbeing for current and future generations.

Learn about the work of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in this field by accessing different resources related to cash and livelihoods below.

For more information on livelihoods, visit the Livelihoods Centre, hosted by the Spanish Red Cross and IFRC.

> Click here to find key resources

A wide range of resources on livelihoods programming, including the livelihoods toolbox, can be found on the Livelihoods Resource Centre website, hosted by the IFRC and Spanish Red Cross.
Household Economic Security (HES) guidelines and the accompanying short video that gives an overview of what HES is and how HES findings can be used. These resources are available in English, French and Spanish.
Guidelines on Cash Transfers and Livelihoods based on a learning workshop in Guatemala City.

25 February 2025

CVA Newsletter – Nepal Red Cross – July to December 2024

Type:

Newsletter

Organization:

Nepal Red Cross Society

An overview of the latest updates on the CVA work of the Nepal Red Cross between July and December 2024.

11 February 2025

How can CVA for Livelihoods be developed to be more efficient and sustainable?

Type:

Report

Organization:

Cash Centre of Excellence, IFRC

This report was written by Christina Abi Rafeh as part of the MENA CVA Mentoring programme. Discover how Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) is transforming humanitarian aid and livelihoods programs…

22 January 2025

Transforming Lives: the impact of cash assistance on people’s wellbeing – A Case Study from Syria

Type:

Case study

Organization:

Syrian Arab Red Crescent

In response to the 2023 earthquake, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, supported by various humanitarian partners, implemented a multipurpose cash assistance programme to provide relief to affected families. Over 49,000…

23 October 2024

Dignity in Action 2024: Key data and learning on cash assistance in the RCRC Movement

Type:

Report

Drawing on learning and experience from across the world in 2022-23, this landmark report explores the transformative impact of cash assistance in humanitarian crises across the International Red Cross and…

29 July 2024

Stories of resilience in Türkiye: Rebuilding livelihoods after the earthquakes

Type:

Blog

Organization:

IFRC, Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay)

The February 2023 earthquakes not only shattered lives, they destroyed people’s livelihoods. A joint programme of the IFRC and the Turkish Red Crescent is helping farmers, craftspeople and small businesses…

29 July 2024

Case Study: 2023 Türkiye Earthquakes / IFRC-TRC Livelihoods Recovery Programme

Type:

Case study

Organization:

IFRC, Turkish Red Crescent Society

This case study provides details regarding the results of the IFRC-Turkish Red Cresent Livelihoods Recovery Programme launched in response to the earthquakes that caused massive loss of life and damage…

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