This desk-based research, commissioned by the SPIAC-B Working Group and FCDO, examines coordination between humanitarian cash and social protection through a review of existing literature and limited qualitative interviews, conducted in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), Ukraine, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Colombia, and the Philippines. The aim is to identify promising practices, lessons learned, and key enablers and constraints from 2021 onwards, building on previous research and contributing to the systematisation and institutionalisation of effective approaches. The research involved mapping existing country-level evidence, analysing promising practices in six countries, and developing a synthesis note with forward-looking recommendations.
Increasing humanitarian needs coupled with social protection systems' growing capability to respond to shocks means that coordination between humanitarian cash and social protection actors is vital. As of 2025, the world faces significant challenges with 712 million people living in extreme poverty and 733 million facing hunger. 52.4% of people globally are covered by at least one cash social protection benefit, leaving 3.8 billion unprotected, many of whom reside in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS). The protracted crises the world is facing today are compounded by limited resources for humanitarian appeals, with coverage standing at just 37.3% as of October 2024, further reinforcing the case for more effective coordination.3 Global evidence demonstrates that social protection can be effectively leveraged to respond to shocks and support household resilience.
When implemented through adequate, predictable responses, social protection can reduce negative coping mechanisms, thereby reducing the cost of humanitarian interventions and preventing income and asset loss by households. It can also help rebuild asset stocks, reduce debt burdens, and improve nutrition, investment, and productivity, as well as generate economywide multipliers. Research highlights how humanitarian assistance can complement and/or substitute state-provided social protection in FCAS.
Recent changes in the global humanitarian architecture present opportunities for improved coordination. The establishment of the global Cash Advisory Group (gCAG) and the development of Common Principles by the SPIAC-B Working Group on Linking Humanitarian (Cash) Assistance and Social Protection offer promising avenues for progress. Further, the Global Charter for Action agreed at the Forum on Social Protection in Fragility and Conflict in October 2024 highlighted a consensus on the need for further actions to improve coordination of humanitarian action and social protection.