Oxfam is advocating for a switch to in-person cash grants rather than other forms of aid in Vanuatu.
Oxfam Vanuatu country coordinator Anita Samana. Photo: Supplied/ Oxfam
Oxfam Vanuatu country coordinator Anita Samana said the organisation found cash was more likely to reach people than other forms of aid such as non-food items as money ended up being spent on logistics and operational costs.
Samana was speaking at the Pacific Island Forum via video conference from a meeting in Port Vila.
During Oxfam's response to Cyclone Pam in 2015, large amounts of the funds raised were spent on aid logistics and money had not reached the affected people, Samana said. As a result, electronic cards with money loaded onto them for people to spend will be the future of aid in Vanuatu.
The two-day meeting in Port Vila brought together 23 advocates from Torba, Sanma, Shefa and Tafea provinces. Since 2020, over 265 million vatu had been distributed in cash to people in those four provinces during disasters.
Oxfam had provided cash transfers during the March 2020 volcanic ashfall on Tanna Island. In February 2022, those affected during flooding from heavy rain on Efate Island were given cash transfers from Oxfam.
The program of cash transfers will end next month, and last week's meeting was aimed at convincing the Vanuatu government to use a system of cash transfer during disasters.
The 23 advocates for cash transfer said it was better than assistance-in-kind because cash reached people much quicker.
They said sometimes assistance-in-kind took weeks to reach affected people.