Ethiopian droughts: reducing the risk to livelihoods through cash transfers
In October 2000, the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) initiated a programme to reduce vulnerability to drought. It distributed cash totalling US$760,000 to 62,000 people in South Wollo, Ethiopia. In return, recipients had to work on ‘employment generation schemes’ (EGS), which focused on road construction and environmental protection. This case study looks at the impacts of this programme and the lessons learned from it. It was found that distributing cash instead of food allowed the ERCS to help those affected by drought to protect their livelihoods.