Abstract
THE CBI PDM Household Survey was conducted in Tajikistan between February, to April, 2021. Tajikistan hosts the largest number of refugees in Central Asia, predominantly from neighbouring Afghanistan. While some progress has been achieved in areas such as access to health and education for refugees, livelihoods and self-reliance, though, continue to pose a challenge. As the result of Covid-19, refugees faced a myriad of challenges, including the loss of daily incomes and livelihoods to cover basic needs such as rent, food and health care. For refugees in Tajikistan, who largely rely on daily work, the impact of Covid 19 has been devastating as it has led to widespread unemployment. As a response measure, UNHCR jointly with its NGO partner provided Covid-19 cash assistance to 414 refugee households over the course of six months (July-December 2020). The results from this survey suggest that cash assistance provided as an immediate measure to support vulnerable refugee households during the Covid-19 pandemic has had a positive impact on the lives of the respondents. Cash assistance predominantly has been spent to cover food, medicines and rent costs.
UNHCR uses Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM) as a mechanism to collect refugees' feedback on the quality, sufficiency, utilization and effectiveness of the assistance items they receive. The underlying principle behind the process is linked to accountability, as well as a commitment to improve the quality and relevance of support provided, and related services. UNHCR increasingly uses Cash-Based Interventions (CBIs) as a preferred modality for delivering assistance, offering greater dignity and choice to forcibly displaced and stateless persons in line with UNHCR's core protection mandate. In order to ensure that the cash assistance provided meets the intended programme objectives and that desired outcomes are achieved, UNHCR conducts regular post-distribution and outcome monitoring with a sample or all of refugee recipients.
