RESOURCES

Cash in Conflict

Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) has several significant benefits that are well known, including increasing people’s dignity, power, autonomy and choice in how they manage their survival and recovery. CVA can also offer greater operational flexibility and achieve wider social and economic multiplier effects beyond its specific purpose. 

Cash is used by people to pay for goods and services all around the world. This fact does not change in situations of armed conflict, when having cash in their hands can be mean the difference between life and death.

The ICRC – who have 16,800 staff in over 80 countries, helping people affected by armed conflict and violence – is enthusiastic about the benefits of CVA and realistic about when it is best to use it. Our experience and evidence shows that cash is an essential tool in humanitarian action in armed conflict, and our own operational analysis confirms many of the positive findings from other policy and academic studies.

© Revol Didier / ICRC

This section of the Cash Hub aims to share the experience of the ICRC and of those Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies working in countries affected by conflict and other situations of violence.

Read the latest report below to find out more about the ICRC’s experience of using CVA in armed conflict

10 September 2018

Cash Transfer Programming in Armed Conflict: The ICRC’s Experience

ICRC’s experience and evidence show that cash is an essential tool in humanitarian action in armed conflict and a valuable option in responding to a wide range of the needs…

23 October 2024

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

Type:

Report

Organization:

Cash Hub, ICRC, IFRC

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…

  • Cash in conflict
  • Cash Preparedness
  • cva
  • data management

4 July 2024

Remote Management of Affected People Desk Review: Lessons Learned and Implementation Guidelines

Type:

Guidance

The document focuses on situating technological and data solutions where remote interactions are needed in a broader process, with a view to ensuring that they are used properly and scaled…

  • Cash in conflict
  • Information management

14 June 2024

Movement Cash and Vouchers Assistance Preparedness (CVAP) partnership model review in ICRC context – Yemen

Type:

Report

Organization:

British Red Cross, Cash Hub, ICRC, Yemen Red Crescent

Yemen Red Crescent Society (YRCS) has the ambition to enhance their capacity to design and independently implement cash-based assistance on a large scale since 2021. With the support of British…

  • Cash in conflict
  • Livelihoods
  • Localisation

30 January 2024

Voices from Yemen: Yahya’s story

Type:

Case study

Organization:

British Red Cross, ICRC, Yemen Red Crescent

In Yemen, the situation has worsened because of rising food and basic commodity prices and loss of money and livelihoods – resulting from the conflict that erupted in the country.…

  • Cash in conflict

30 January 2024

Voices from Yemen: Ahmed’s story

Type:

Case study

Organization:

British Red Cross, ICRC, Yemen Red Crescent

In Yemen, the situation has worsened because of rising food and basic commodity prices and loss of money and livelihoods – resulting from the conflict that erupted in the country.…

  • Cash in conflict

18 January 2024

Yemen: When conflict comes with disaster or disease, cash assistance can save lives

Type:

Article

Organization:

IFRC

Cash assistance helps 62-year-old Khamisa support her family and pay for life-saving medication; read this article from IFRC to find out more about how cash assistance has helped communities in…

  • Cash in conflict

In partnership with:

British Red Cross