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This document presents the results of 2021 Cash Assistance Post Distribution Monitoring from 44 countries. Cash assistance was effective in responding to people’s needs and helped improving their living conditions and overall well-being. Cash remained the preferred modality for assistance as compared to in-kind assistance. The findings, however, also highlight sustained needs and exacerbated protection risks in the long-term, including for children.
The findings in this report are based on UNHCR’s Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM) data. The data was collected through 19,699 household interviews in 44 countries between January 2021 and March 2022.1 Some comparisons are made between 2020 and 2021 findings, but these remain indicative and can only be used to depict some rough tendencies.
UNHCR’s Cash Assistance in 2021
In 2021, UNHCR delivered USD 670 million to some 9.3 million people in 96 countries. UNHCR used cash for a wide range of purposes, including protection, basic needs, education, shelter, health, and livelihoods. A significant part of the cash was dedicated to meet specific protection purposes. 95% of the cash was disbursed without restrictions, meaning that refugees chose how to spend it. UNHCR’s assistance complements governments’ social assistance efforts by contributing an additional safety net for vulnerable refugees and others of concern – those left behind.
CASH IMPROVED LIVING CONDITIONS AND WELL-BEING
Cash assistance has been critical for the wellbeing of refugees and others of concern in 2021. 94% of the respondents reported that cash assistance has improved their living conditions, which is in line with the findings in 2020. Of these, 23% stated that cash assistance has significantly improved their living conditions while 70% reported moderate or slight improvements. Cash assistance has also helped to reduce feelings of stress for 92% of the surveyed households, showing that cash assistance can have an important, positive psychosocial effect on the well-being of individuals.