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 August 2017

Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action

Type:

Research

Organization:

ICRC and Brussels Privacy Hub

This Handbook was published as part of the Brussels Privacy Hub and ICRC’s Data Protection in Humanitarian Action project. It is aimed at the staff of humanitarian organizations involved in…

  • Cash in conflict
  • Cash in emergencies
  • Cash technology
  • Information management

12 June 2017

Kenya: Cash assistance is putting more than just food on the table

Type:

Article

Organization:

ICRC, ICRC

Haduko who lives in Kenya’s drought affected Tana Delta region has just received a cash transfer message on her mobile phone. She makes her way to a mobile money vendor…

  • Africa
  • Cash in conflict
  • Cash in emergencies
  • Cash technology

15 May 2017

A crucial lifeline is restoring dignity for drought-affected families in Somalia

Type:

Article

Organization:

ICRC

Farmers were hit by successive failed rains that has exacerbated the drought conditions across Somalia. Cash given by ICRC via mobile money has helped Isaaq to buy food for his…

  • Cash in conflict
  • Cash in emergencies
  • Cash technology

10 March 2017

Burundi : Thérèse, a mother and widow, launches her restaurant “The Umbrella”

Type:

Article

Organization:

ICRC

Thérèse opened a restaurant in November 2016 thanks to her business acumen and ICRC’s financing program, which gave her a cash grant of USD 120 to invest in her business.

  • Cash in conflict
  • Cash in emergencies

10 January 2017

Philippines: Conflict-affected families rebuild their communities through cash-for-work

Type:

Article

Organization:

ICRC

In Masbate, Philippines, workers take part in a cash for work program to construct a river wall to prevent flash floods and erosion from damaging houses.

  • Asia-Pacific
  • Cash in conflict
  • Cash in emergencies

In partnership with:

British Red Cross