BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Humanitarian cash transfers are becoming more accepted within the humanitarian response community as both a more efficient and dignified way to meet basic needs including food and shelter for migrants and refugees.
But opting for cash transfers over an in-kind donation for humanitarian assistance to Venezuelans in Colombia has met challenges from a government that continues to struggle to meet the needs of its own people, NGO leaders told Devex.
The Colombian government is wary of demonstrating preferential treatment for Venezuelans over its own citizens, where 27% of the population live below the national poverty line and resources in many host communities are increasingly strained by the over 1 million Venezuelans currently living in Colombia.