A fundamental shift in the way humanitarian aid is delivered is underway. Still in its early stages, the push toward cash or digital payments in response to disasters or refugee crises could alter the landscape permanently.
While cash and vouchers currently account for about six percent of total humanitarian spending, according to a September 2015 report from the Overseas Development Institute, countries signing on to the Grand Bargain at last month’s World Humanitarian Summit pledged to increase the use and coordination of cash-based programming.
While the Grand Bargain fell short of setting specific targets, many nongovernmental organizations and others who deliver humanitarian aid are setting internal targets to deliver anywhere between 20 to 50 percent of the assistance they provide through cash-based payments.
About the author
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex where she covers development finance, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development and authors the weekly Devex Invested newsletter bringing the latest news on the role of business and finance in addressing global challenges. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.
