Context
In Afghanistan, cash assistance remains the preferred response modality, with over 89 per cent of households reporting they prefer cash according to the 2024 WoAA. By September 2024, 39 Cash Working Group (CWG) partners—including three UN agencies, 29 INGOs, and seven national NGOs—had reached approximately 3.5 million people (497,310 households) across 199 of Afghanistan's 401 districts through cash assistance. As of early December 2024, according to FTS reporting, a total of $88.1 million has been distributed in Multi- Purpose Cash (MPC). Post-distribution monitoring (PDM) reports continuously highlight that CVA recipients tend to prioritize basic needs, namely food expenditures, while savings are reported as negligible.
Effective CVA delivery in Afghanistan is driven by several enabling factors, including functional markets, the availability of essential commodities, access to reliable financial service providers (FSPs) and the engagement of capacitated national NGOs to reach those in need. The CWG supported by GiHA, the DIWG and the Protection Cluster and its AORs, ensures that gender, disability and inclusion, and protection concerns are prioritized in ongoing collaborations and embedded in relevant guidance. CVA interventions continue to stimulate local markets, reduce aid delivery costs and promote social cohesion within communities.
While risks such as counterfeit currency, cash distribution activity security, interference in aid delivery and frequent edicts are inherent to CVA in Afghanistan, the CWG has developed a comprehensive risk mitigation matrix to address these challenges. This ensures effective management of risks and clear communication pathways, enabling safe, transparent and principled CVA delivery. The CWG’s efforts, along with OCHA’s field coordination with de facto authorities, help sustain the integrity and effectiveness of CVA responses throughout the country.
Multi-purpose cash
In 2025, MPC assistance aims to reach approximately 1.7 million people, or 243,000 households, across Afghanistan, with an estimated budget of $69.4 million. The primary objective of MPC is to address the basic needs of vulnerable households affected by crises, such as floods, earthquakes, droughts and economic shocks, while upholding their dignity and freedom of choice.
The targeting methodology prioritizes vulnerable groups, including women-headed households, people with specific protection needs, households with persons with disabilities and those affected by natural disasters. Geographic coverage is determined by the locations of natural disasters and is expected to include flood-prone provinces (Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh and Bamyan), earthquake-prone regions (Herat, Khost and Paktika), as well as border provinces in western Afghanistan (Farah, Faryab and Ghor) and eastern Afghanistan (Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar).
MPC transfer values are based on the Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB), which is reviewed twice a year to accommodate factors such as market price fluctuations, commodity availability, inflation or deflation and foreign currency exchange rates. These regular reviews are critical to maintaining beneficiaries' purchasing power in local markets. For details on CVA modalities, including MPC, refer to Table: Standard Cash and Voucher Packages in the CVA overview section below.
MPC referral pathways are facilitated either through Operational Coordination Teams (OCTs) or active cash partners in areas affected by sudden-onset disasters depending on the scale of the emergency. Several CWG partners, including UNICEF, UNHCR, IRC, NRC, IOM, WFP, Mercy Corps, AWAAZ and SCI, channel MPC referrals directly to responding partners. At the national level, the CWG coordinates these linkages to ensure an effective and timely response.
Cash and voucher assistance overview
In 2025, an estimated $759.6 million is planned for CVA, including $690.2 million in sectoral cash assistance and $69.4 million in MPC. This assistance is expected to reach at least 8.1 million people (approximately 1.2 million households) with at least one cash modality, across the country.
Sectoral CVA supports cluster-specific objectives to address targeted needs. Under FSAC, cash for food remains the largest CVA intervention. The ES-NFI cluster provides cash for shelter and winterization to meet urgent shelter and household NFI needs. Protection cluster employs CVA to address specific protection needs, such as individual protection services. Clusters occasionally utilize conditional CVA, such as cash for work for limited scale community improvements that also benefit participants with cash transfers. The table below outlines the most frequently used CVA modalities.
Complementarity and de-duplication approaches between MPC and other CVA
Sectoral cash and MPC programs in Afghanistan run concurrently to address both immediate basic needs and sector-specific requirements. During emergencies, such as the Herat earthquake and northern Afghanistan floods—when the bulk of MPC is distributed—time-bound, area-based sub-national coordination forums, including ad-hoc sub-national CWGs, led by CWG partners, OCHA OCTs, and supported by the CWG team in Kabul, mitigate the risk of overlaps by coordinating efforts based on agreed geographical coverage delineations.
The more significant challenge, however, is inadequate coverage and insufficient assistance due to limited resources, which poses a greater risk and has a higher impact than the less likely potential for widespread duplication. This issue is further compounded by partners' stretched operational capacity and growing needs in affected areas.
Monitoring indicators
To verify beneficiaries' cash utilization and assess their satisfaction, CWG partners conduct continuous monitoring of CVA interventions through PDM surveys, process monitoring spot checks and market monitoring. Stratified sampling ensures the inclusion of vulnerable groups, such as women-headed households and persons with disabilities. Standard indicators— such as households reached, commodity prices and availability, beneficiary preferences, amounts delivered and cash utilization—are closely monitored. CWG partners periodically conduct assessments on access to markets, FSPs and distribution sites. With the dedicated support of CWG partners, including WFP and REACH initiatives, additional context-specific indicators are gathered. The golden standard for effectively monitoring and assessing CVA interventions in this context is the preservation of beneficiaries' purchasing power in their local markets.
Links to social protection systems
While Afghanistan does not currently have state-led social protection schemes, two key programs funded by the World Bank and implemented by UNICEF and WFP are addressing critical needs. UNICEF's Maternal and Child Cash Transfer Programme (MCCT) and WFP's Maternal Child Benefit Programme (MCBP) provide essential cash assistance to vulnerable households with pregnant women and children under two, enhancing access to health and nutrition services. These programs are tailored to meet specific needs, promote improved nutrition and build local capacity. Both also offer emergency cash support and contribute to strengthening Afghanistan’s social protection landscape through community engagement.
Links to accountable, inclusive and quality programming
CWG partners actively engage communities early in the design of CVA interventions through communitybased structures, ensuring accountability to affected people by incorporating feedback on preferences, modalities and targeting approaches. The inclusion of local actors has grown notably, with national NGOs implementing CVA interventions increasing from 7 in 2023 to 17 in 2024. To further localize efforts, the AHF allocated 30 per cent of its MPC funds ($3.5 million) to national actors.
CVA feedback emerged as a key highlight in Afghanistan's Community Voices and Accountability Platform. The CWG relies on AWAAZ, DIWG and AAPWG to ensure inclusive programming. CWG established guidelines ensure a 15 per cent quota for persons with disabilities and women-headed households, while a MPC top-up of 20 per cent is proposed for the mentioned vulnerable groups. Additionally, the CWG collaborates with GBV AoR coordinators, advocates with donors to ensure budgeting flexibility for mahram costs, tailors support for persons with disabilities and allows for special adaptations to ensure culturally accepted dignified inclusion of vulnerable groups.
Cash coordination arrangements
The CWG structure is well-established, with strong donor and partner support, along with increased participation from local actors. In November 2024, OCHA assumed the non-programmatic co-chair role, while IRC continued to co-chair in the programmatic role. With its ToR revised in line with global guidance and its position within the coordination architecture firmly established, the Afghanistan CWG has coordination model.
The CWG remains the technical entity responsible for coordinating MPC and supporting sectoral CVA efforts, working closely with clusters and OCHA field teams. iMMAP provides information management support through snapshots and live dashboards, while REACH Initiatives and WFP offer market assessments and price monitoring. Biannual MEB revisions and sensitization efforts by the CWG contribute to a harmonized CVA response. Coordination with key CVA stakeholders—especially FSAC and ES/NFI clusters— along with joint trainings and information sharing sessions with WASH, Education and Health clusters, ensures that the CWG’s priorities align with ICCT leadership and broader humanitarian objectives.
