Miniguides: Adolescent-Responsive Cash and Voucher Assistance
Resources to help practitioners effectively use cash and voucher assistance (CVA) to achieve protection, education, and wellbeing outcomes for crisis affecte…
Cash and voucher assistance in emergencies
When disasters strike, children can lose everything—homes, livelihoods and access to food, water and education. Cash and voucher assistance supports people in crisis to regain control over their lives with dignity and choice.
Why cash and voucher assistance matters
Cash and voucher assistance is a form of humanitarian aid where people affected by crises receive money or vouchers instead of physical goods. This allows them to purchase what they need most—whether it’s food, medicine, shelter materials or school supplies—based on their priorities and local availability.
It is a fast, flexible, efficient and lifesaving way to support people in emergencies. It can save lives by ensuring children have food, water, shelter, remain in school and prevents families from resorting to negative coping mechanisms such as child marriage or child labour.
In the critical first days and weeks after a crisis, cash can mean the difference between hunger and nourishment or exposure and shelter. It allows families to make decisions that best suit their needs, while also supporting local markets and economies, helping communities recover sooner.
By giving people the power to make their own decisions, cash and voucher assistance restores dignity and promotes resilience.
Salimata is happy to stay in school
Despite having fled violence, Salimata is still able to attend school after her family received a cash transfer.
Our impact
Since launching our first cash and voucher assistance programme in 2011, we have reached over 5.8 million people globally with more than €239 million in cash and voucher support. From 2019 to 2023 alone, we delivered over €181.9 million in assistance to 4.4 million people—53% of whom were women and girls.
In 2023, we implemented 59 projects in 14 countries, reaching over 662,000 people. More than 80% of this support focused on food security, helping families avoid hunger and malnutrition during crises.
Supporting women and girls
Cash and voucher assistance is central to our mission of advancing children’s rights and equality for girls. Our programmes are inclusive and ensure that women and girls—who are often hardest hit by emergencies—receive the support they need. Our child-friendly feedback systems and community engagement ensure that every voice is heard and respected.
Global leadership
Plan International is a recognised leader in cash and voucher assistance programming. We work closely with partners to deliver high-quality, accountable assistance. Our team includes global, regional and country specialists, and we are active members of key international networks shaping the future of humanitarian aid.
We also integrate cash and voucher assistance across sectors—supporting education, child protection, food security and livelihoods. For example, we use cash-for-work programmes to rebuild schools, helping children return to education quickly after a disaster.
Cash transfers help families invest in their children’s future
Cash transfers have helped Dalande, 16, remain in school despite the crisis in Haiti.
Policy and advocacy
We play a leading role in shaping global policy on cash and voucher assistance. We contribute to key networks and working groups, including the Global Cash Advisory Group, the CaLP Technical Advisory Group and the Alliance Cash and Child Protection Task Force.
We’re helping to reshape how cash assistance works—advocating for approaches that are simpler, safer, locally led and better connected to national systems and early warning efforts.
Our advocacy is grounded in evidence—drawing on assessments, monitoring data and lessons learned to influence humanitarian standards and funding priorities.
With humanitarian needs rising and funding shrinking, cash and voucher assistance must evolve. We champion the use of cash and voucher assistance in addressing hunger, protecting children and supporting education in emergencies. Through strategic dialogue with donors, governments and humanitarian partners, we advocate for cash programming that focuses on the needs and voices of affected communities, particularly girls, young women and children with disabilities.
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