Social Protection in Protracted Crises, Humanitarian and Fragile Contexts

FAO recognizes that scaling-up cash-based programming and risk-informed and shock-responsive social protection systems is a strategic priority in particular to improve food security and nutrition and protect households’ assets as well as increase income of the most vulnerable population. Over the past 15 years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of countries implementing social protection schemes, mainly cash-based. Today, more than 1.9 billion people in 136 countries benefit from social assistance programmes and approximately 718 million people are enrolled in cash transfer programmes.