almotamar.net -
The World Food Programme (WFP) began this month providing cash transfers to 57,000 households in Taiz and Ibb governorates to help people supplement their food consumption.

Through this programme, which is the first large-scale of its kind in Yemen, each targeted family receives the equivalent of US$27.50 per month to purchase food, a WFP news release read.

It showed that surveys have shown, while families are free to spend the cash as they want, most of the money is indeed spent on food with the remainder being used for other essentials such as health care or schooling.

Cash transfers are part of WFP's emergency safety-net programme, which provides food assistance to some 3.8 million people across the country. WFP is implementing this innovative assistance tool in Yemen in cooperation with the Yemeni Posts and Postal Services Corporation and the Ministry of Education in selected districts with developed financial services and local markets.

"When the right conditions are there such as the availability of food in the market and providers to disburse the cash, cash transfers is often more appropriate than simply handing out a food basket," said WFP Representative and Country Director Bishow Parajuli. "This type of assistance introduces the element of choice and helps to stimulate local markets."

Over the coming months, WFP plans to scale up cash assistance in Yemen, both as part of relief distributions to vulnerable families and as payment from participants in WFP's work projects aimed at creating community assets and strengthening people's capacity to withstand shocks, according to the news release.

Food prices in local markets, security and availability of financial services are some of the criteria WFP uses to determine the most suitable form of assistance in every geographical area; whether through food distributions, cash or vouchers.