Attachments
This Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) Feasibility Assessment was conducted as part of the regional Pacific Cash Preparedness Partnership, a collaboration between Oxfam, Save the Children and the United Nations. Funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership Disaster-Ready Initiative, the assessment focuses on enhancing awareness, capacity and expertise in CVA across the Pacific Islands, with a particular emphasis on Tonga. The report provides a strong, context-specific evidence base aimed at guiding national discussions and trengthening preparedness initiatives for the effective use of cash transfers in disaster response, recovery and resilience programs.
The assessment identifies critical factors for successful CVA implementation in Tonga, including the identification of viable location-based assessment, the most appropriate tools, modality, recipients, optimal timing for interventions and key recommendations for effective delivery. This assessment aligns with Tonga's national priorities as outlined in the Tonga Strategic Development Framework II (2015-2025) and the Joint National Action Plan on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management. Both plans emphasise the importance of enhancing resilience, reducing disaster impacts and improving the efficiency of emergency responses.
CVA is increasingly recognised in Tonga as a cost-effective and empowering form of disaster assistance. It allows recipients to make autonomous decisions about their household needs following a disaster, while also revitalising local markets and supporting long-term economic recovery. Despite Tonga’s frequent exposure to natural hazards, large-scale, in-kind distributions have traditionally been the dominant response modality. However, the Cash Learning Partnership (CaLP) Feasibility Scoping Study highlighted opportunities to scale up CVA as a standard emergency response mechanism across the Pacific. This assessment builds on these findings by providing a detailed analysis of the feasibility of cash transfers across Tonga.