Cash in Conflict
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.
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.
© Revol Didier / ICRC
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.
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 on “Cash Transfer Programming in Armed Conflict: The ICRC’s Experience“, to find out about the ICRC’s experience of using CVA in armed conflict.
17 November 2021
Progress in mainstreaming the use of cash and vouchers in ICRC operations (2017–2021)
Type:
ReportOrganization:
ICRCThis report focuses on the use of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) in ICRC activities to protect and assist people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence, sharing information on the growth in the use of CVA and an overview of different CVA programmes and measures to minimise risks commonly associated with this modality.
20 October 2021
Localisation and Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) – Cash Hub panel discussion recording
Type:
VideoOrganization:
Cash HubAs part of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement Planet:Red Summit, the Cash Hub hosted a panel discussion to explore how CVA, and specifically cash preparedness can help to strengthen National Societies and contribute to more locally-led humanitarian action.
31 August 2021
Strengthening locally led humanitarian action through cash preparedness
Type:
ResearchOrganization:
Cash Hub, NorcapThis research looks at links between CVA and localisation, to understand how CVA can help to further localisation and strengthen locally led humanitarian action, focusing on these questions: 1) How can CVA help to strengthen National Societies’ voice and influence?; 2) Does building CVA capacity help to further the localisation agenda and, if so, how does it do so?; 3) What lessons can be learnt from National Societies and their CVA responses?
27 April 2021
“Doing no harm” in the digital age: What the digitalisation of cash means for humanitarian action
Type:
ArticleOrganization:
ICRCThis article explores how cash transfers have changed the way the humanitarian sector delivers assistance. The digitalisation of cash means that the simple click of a button can put money in the hands of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people within minutes. As humanitarians, we need to articulate what “do no harm” means in the digital age, applying this equally to the way we use digital payments to support people affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence.
8 February 2021
Guidance for Mainstreaming Cash and Voucher Assistance Cash Preparedness for Effective Response – Chapter 2: ICRC CVA Preparedness Guidance
Type:
ToolOrganization:
RCRCMThis ICRC-specific guidance follows the same structure as the CVAP guidance for NSs (for the latter see Chapter 1), with each section providing an overview of one of the five key Areas of CVAP, adapted for use at ICRC delegation level.
8 February 2021
Guidance for Mainstreaming Cash and Voucher Assistance Cash Preparedness for Effective Response – Chapter 1: CVAP Areas
Type:
ToolOrganization:
RCRCMThis guidance is intended for NSs at the country level, but can also be used by other components of the Movement. The document includes suggestions on what actions or domains are required under each of the five key CVAP Areas. A separate chapter has been written with adaptations for ICRC delegations investing in CVAP (see “Chapter 2 – ICRC CVAP Guidance”).
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