The REFANI-N study protocol: a cluster-randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of early initiation and longer duration of emergency/seasonal unconditional cash transfers

Abstract

The global burden of acute malnutrition among children remains high, and prevalence rates are highest in humanitarian contexts such as Niger. Unconditional cash transfers are increasingly used to prevent acute malnutrition in emergencies but lack a strong evidence base. In Niger, non-governmental organisations give unconditional cash transfers to the poorest households from June to September; the ‘hunger gap’. However, rising admissions to feeding programmes from March/April suggest the intervention may be late. This cluster-randomised controlled trial will compare 2 types of unconditional cash transfer for ‘very poor’ households in ‘vulnerable’ villages defined and identified by the implementing organisation. This work is part of the Research on Food Assistance for Nutritional Impact (REFANI) project