Transfers as a Means to Mitigate Covid-19 Impacts on Food Security

Evidence from Refugee and Host Communities Uganda

Bibliographic Data

ID20301341
AuthorsMarco D’errico (0000-0001-6639-7811, ESA, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Rome, Italy, corresponding author), Ellestina Jumbe (0000-0002-7602-7467, ESA, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Rome, Italy), Lauren Oliver (0000-0001-5816-5498, Yale University), Rebecca Pietrelli (0000-0003-4979-1467, ESA, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Rome, Italy), Irene Staffieri (0000-0003-0824-8898, ESA, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Rome, Italy), Paul Winters (0000-0001-9976-4534, Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA)
Year2024
Volume60
Issue3
Pages432-456
Publication date2024-03-03
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Development Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-0388 • E-ISSN: 1743-9140
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00220388.2023.2282368
OpenAlexW4392002126
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited20

Uganda is home to some 1.5 million refugees. Its self-reliance policy welcomes refugees with freedom of movement and work; a piece of land for building a house and home-gardening; and social protection (food and cash transfers). While a progressive refugee policy, the onset of COVID-19 may complicate its effectiveness. This paper investigates the role of food and cash transfers in meeting negative consequences of the pandemic for both host and refugee communities. We do so by using a unique panel dataset covering the period from 2019 to 2021. Our evidence suggests that although transfers were widely used in refugee settlements prior to COVID-19, their use did not expand within the refugee nor host communities at the onset of the pandemic and, in fact, the transfer amounts declined. The evidence does not suggest that either form of transfer has a strong effect on food security or resilience although there is some evidence that cash transfers facilitate resilience. However, food transfers are associated with maintaining or increasing food security while cash transfers are more closely associated with resilience. Furthermore, food transfer seem to outperform cash transfers in responding to COVID-19 particularly when income loss due to COVID-19 is reported

Agriculture · Business · Cash · Cash transfers · Development economics · Economic growth · Economics · Food security · Geography · Human settlement · Political science · Psychological resilience · Refugee · Resilience (materials science) · Agricultural risk and resilience · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Finance · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Psychology

Tools

Open DOI