Amid aid cuts, the future of cash programming hangs in the balance

For years, a simple idea had been gaining traction among humanitarians and development experts: When people are in crisis, the most effective form of aid isn’t always food, shelter, or supplies. It’s money.

Advocates argued that cash empowers recipients to make their own choices — ones that best fit their circumstances. It supports local markets, bolsters fragile economies, and restores a measure of dignity in the midst of upheaval.

Cash and voucher assistance, or CVA, typically comes in the form of digital transfers, physical cash, or value vouchers that recipients can use to meet their basic needs. Some CVAs are sector-specific and can only be used toward certain goods or services, such as food or education. Other CVAs can come in the form of multipurpose cash assistance, or MPCA — unrestricted cash that can be spent on anything.