Table 3 Stakeholder preferences for humanitarian assistance

Community members prefer cash transfers received via vendors/shops or hawala agents in their community, supplemented by in-kind assistance when needed to address fuel shortages and basic services (e.g., primary education and basic health care).

Local councils prefer assistance with both immediate and potential medium to long-term benefits for the community as a whole.

NGOs prefer assistance that is driven by beneficiary needs and preferences, accepted by donors and local stakeholders, and can be provided efficiently.

Donors prefer vouchers to cash transfers because they are easier to track and evaluate, but assessment findings and lessons learned from pilot projects suggest vouchers may provide the least value for money from both beneficiary and NGO perspectives.

Globally, there is increasing interest in the potential for multipurpose (unconditional) cash transfer programming with the aim of increasing effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian assistance, but there is well-founded hesitation or resistance to using informal money transfer networks where there are risks of terrorism financing and money laundering.