Regional study for UNHCR operation in the Middle East and North Africa: Cash-Based Interventions and Protection

As UNHCR enters its last year of cash institutionalisation, it delivered, in 2020, 700 million USD of Cash Based Interventions (CBIs) to 8.5 million people in 100 countries. Among the largest ten UNHCR cash operations, six are part of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This study provides an overview of UNHCR’s ability to use CBIs to fulfil its protection mandate in Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen. First the study presents a mapping of UNHCR’s CBIs in the MENA region, second it discusses the extent to which UNHCR country offices in the region are reaching protection outcomes through CBIs and lastly the extent protection influences and takes part of the targeting process.
The study relied on an extensive desk review of about 150 documents and 31 key informant interviews across the 16 country offices in the MENA region. Findings were presented, discussed and reviewed collaborately.