“Why not cash?”
It’s a question included in the 10 principles guiding multipurpose cash-based assistance outlined by the European Commission’s humanitarian aid and civil protection department earlier this year. But it’s also a question that humanitarians themselves should ask when planning the best way to deliver aid during crises and disasters.
While cash transfers have found their way into humanitarian response strategies, concerns about inflation and improper use of these funds — worries that cash will overwhelm markets or will be spent on the wrong things — continue to limit their use at a larger scale.