Evaluation of UNICEF’s Humanitarian Cash Transfer Response to Ukraine Crisis

About

The humanitarian cash transfer (HCT) response in Ukraine serves as UNICEF’s largest organizational delivery of HCTs to date. UNICEF’s Humanitarian Action for Children Funding (HAC) target in 2022 was to reach 265,000 households nationally. The HCT Evaluation, commissioned by the UNICEF Ukraine Country Office (UCO), aims to consolidate evidence-based learning on the relevance, effectiveness and coherence of the HCT programme in responding to the basic needs of war affected vulnerable households in Ukraine between March 2022 and June 2023. The Study also intends to review how UCO has leveraged its large-scale HCT response to promote linkages with shock responsive social protection (SRSP), with a focus on the Perekhid Initiative.

The Evaluation found that UNICEF successfully delivered cash transfers to 220,959 unique households out of a targeted population of 265,000 households within a period of March to December 2022, thus largely meeting the ambition set out by the emergency appeal (83%).  The HCT programme re-pivoted to provide HCTs in the newly accessible and frontline areas in 2023, while also ensuring 2022 committed payments were honoured at the same time. The HCT was generally very well received by affected households who praised the impact of the transfers at a time of great need.

Considering the significant lessons which have been generated through the HCT response, the Evaluation provides key recommendations in terms of 1) human resources, funding and systems; 2) targeting, design and adaptive capacity; 3) monitoring and risk management; 4) linkages with SRSP and; 5) maximizing the results of HCT.

Author(s)

UNICEF