Humanitarian Cash Transfers and Covid-19-Key messages: Recommendations for ongoing and future interventions

The COVID-19 pandemic and related control measures are having and are anticipated to have longer term effects on households’ economic and purchasing power across the globe and more severely in the already most impoverished and disaster and conflict-affected countries. Containment measures and their economic fallout are expected to significantly impact the socio-economic situation of the most vulnerable population. Diminishing fiscal revenues will negatively impact already overstretched social programmes and services, leaving the most vulnerable without access to essential and lifesaving, commodities and services, as has been highlighted by UNICEF’s HAC Appeal of over US$ 550 million and the UN Global HRP of US$ 2 billion. In addition, slowing economic activity will bring about increased unemployment, declining wages, and an overall loss of livelihoods and income.