UNHCR - Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance Mid-Year Post Distribution Monitoring Report 2020 --- by Samuel Hall

Executive summary

Jordan hosts close to three quarters of a million refugees, most living outside of camps. The majority are vulnerable, unable to independently maintain a dignified life. In this context, UNHCR Jordan’s unconditional monthly basic needs cash assistance programme is a lifeline for many. During the first half of-2020, around 33,000 vulnerable refugee families living in urban areas and mostly but not exclusively from Syria, benefited from monthly assistance in the form of a social cash transfer (unrelated to Covid-19 emergency cash transfers also distributed by UNHCR in the late spring of 2020 and discussed in an annex to this document). Based on a survey administered via telephone to 590 cash transfer recipients, this report presents the results of the mid-year postdistribution monitoring exercise.

The results suggest that the distribution modalities of the monthly cash assistance generally work well – over nine respondents out of ten received the assistance on the day they were expecting it and were able to collect it at an ATM close to their place of residence. A minority of respondents (fewer than 10%) felt unsafe or at risk withdrawing or spending the cash, with fears of theft appearing greater than fear of catching Covid-19. Most cash recipients would not trade the cash programme for a combination of cash and in-kind support. The feedback on service delivery is broadly positive, and the helpline well-known.

link to website: https://www.samuelhall.org/publications/multi-purpose-cash-assistance-mid-year-post-distribution-monitoring-report-2020

link to PDF file: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cfe2c8927234e0001688343/t/5f744bff31179576b5e451a0/1601457156459/CBI+PDM+Household+Survey+-+Mid-term+2020.pdf