Cash and voucher assistance

Giving cash to people affected by disasters is an effective, efficient and transparent way of providing humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable. It ensures people have the freedom, dignity and independence to decide on their own recovery.

Our work

Cash and voucher assistance helps people to prepare, prioritize and take care of their families based on their own preferences and decisions. It supports them to address a wide range of needs such as rent and food, as well as education and healthcare costs.

The IFRC is a world leader in cash and voucher assistance. We are committed to delivering 50% of our humanitarian assistance through cash and vouchers by 2025.

We support our member Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to improve their ability to deliver cash, so they can reach more people, more quickly, and in a way that helps communities recover with dignity.

We also work closely with other humanitarian organizations, governments, academia and the private sector to improve cash programming. This includes working towards collective goals and commitments on cash.

All of our work on cash is based on strong community engagement, so we respond directly to people’s needs.

Find out more about our overall approach to cash here.

Watch: Why cash?

Learn more

Volunteers from Madagascar Red Cross distribute cash assistance to communities affected by drought and food insecurity in the south of the country to help them feed their families

Cash in emergencies

A Kenyan Red Cross volunteer helps a community in Turkana affected by drought and conflict to access emergency cash assistance via mobile phone

Cash innovation and information management

A woman withdraws money, which she receives as part of a large cash assistance programme in Turkey, from an ATM machine.

Cash policy and coordination

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Watch: cash and voucher programming