Haiti – Unconditional Cash Transfers: Lessons Learnt

The challenges of responding to the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti were huge and varied, prompting agencies to think and act creatively. Christian Aid’s partners were at the forefront of the humanitarian response, distributing cash to people affected by the disaster two weeks after the earthquake struck the country. Some Christian Aid partners chose to respond with cash, rather than with goods in-kind, as they recognised the diverse needs of those affected, the flexibility of cash to meet those needs, the dignity of transference of choice and the importance of supporting the local markets to rebound at such a critical time. Each partner designed their own programme, and this paper highlights the successes and challenges of their approaches, in a bid to contribute to the growing body of cash transfer programming best practice.