Humanitarian groups traditionally swoop in to provide aid in the aftermath of crises and natural disasters. That often means it takes weeks or months for affected communities to get what they need to keep from going hungry or sustain themselves.
But what if there was a way to provide aid to people before disasters strike?
GiveDirectly is among the aid groups experimenting with this model — especially in extreme weather events. The cash transfer giant started by providing small payments to low-income communities in Mozambique days before they were hit by Cyclone Freddy last week. The deadly, record-breaking storm has killed hundreds in Madagascar, Malawi, and Mozambique.