Guidance document: REACH cash and markets support for the COVID-19 response

As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to spread from country to country, many countries in which REACH works have opted to enforce strict social distancing measures, temporarily shut down venues for large public gatherings, and close their borders to most or all foreign entrants to prevent the spread of the virus. These measures, while necessary from a public health perspective, are already having strong negative effects on some of the market systems on which vulnerable populations in humanitarian contexts depend. Border closures, labor shortages, and restrictions on cross-border cargo transport have disrupted supply chains in some countries, causing sudden price spikes and item shortages; governmentmandated business closures and bans on public gatherings have led to the closures of many vendors and marketplaces deemed non-essential; and large numbers of vulnerable people have been cut off from their livelihoods overnight, leading not only to increased humanitarian need but to increased insecurity in some contexts, as market vendors deal with theft, robbery, and open threats.

This guidance document aims to collect initial ideas for how REACH’s cash and markets teams can help their national cash working groups and other partners respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance note is designed as a living document and will be updated over time based on feedback from field missions.