UNICEF’s humanitarian cash transfers to families in eastern DR Congo reach 14,000 children

KINSHASA, 12 May 2025 – UNICEF has provided mobile cash transfers to over 6,000 families, including 14,000 children, under three separate initiatives designed to support some of the most vulnerable people affected by the latest wave of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In Minova in South Kivu, cash transfers were made to families previously identified as especially at risk to help shield them from the impact of surging violence. In Goma, North Kivu, transfers were made to foster families temporarily taking care of children who had become separated from their parents. Also in Goma, transfers were made to households that included survivors of sexual violence.

“Cash transfers have been an indispensable tool during the past three months as the conflict in the east has escalated,” said UNICEF Representative John Agbor. “The cash team was able to leverage systems already in place and make the transfers quickly thereby ensuring that the most vulnerable children and women caught up in the crisis were still able to get the basic things they needed such as food, shelter and healthcare.”   

UNICEF first incorporated cash transfers into its emergency response in 2011 to respond to the growing scale and diversity of humanitarian needs, and to give families more autonomy and control over their lives. Since then, UNICEF has implemented a number of cash transfer programmes, frequently to complement the provision of other services – such as education, nutrition or child protection services – known as a “Cash Plus” approach. 

In Minova, one of the first places in South Kivu to be affected by the resurgence of violence, an immediate consequence was price inflation of some staple foods and other essential items. UNICEF’s cash transfers helped families buy food, find shelter and get healthcare. They were also able to set some money aside for small-scale income-generating activities. Families participating in this programme are to receive two cash transfers of $24 per person with a ceiling of five people per household.  So far, UNICEF has made cash transfers to over 6,000 families, benefiting more than 30,000 people, out of a planned total of 14,000 families. 

In Goma, 70 foster families caring for unaccompanied children received two cash payments of $50 in January and March 2025 to cover food and other costs associated with looking after the children.

Also in Goma, transfers were made to 672 households that included survivors of sexual violence. The cash assistance has allowed them to meet their basic needs and access services and is part of a larger gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, response and resilience programme. 

“In addition to how quickly UNICEF was able to make the transfers during the height of the crisis, another important benefit of mobile transfers is that it is discrete and offers an element of safety and protection in a fraught and sensitive environment,” Agbor said.

As the crisis in eastern DRC continues to affect vulnerable communities, UNICEF is aiming to expand the use of cash transfers as part of its humanitarian response.