Cash for Covid-19 Pandemic Response in Jordan (C4C) Responding to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, Caritas Switzerland (CACH) is proposing the Cash for Covid-19 Pandemic Response in Jordan (C4C) project to assist 758 households (HHs) (70% Syrian refugee and 30% vulnerable Jordanian) in Amman, Irbid, Mafraq, Madaba, and Zarqa, who have lost their means of income and lack of safety net. The present proposal suggests an assistance through a 2-month cash support, followed by a safety net package in line with the recommendations of the COVID-19 Response Task Force (CRTF) of the Basic Needs Working Group (BNWG). The eligibility criteria for the selection of beneficiaries are in line with the sector response and include 1) high debt per capita, 2) a high Consolidated Approach to Reporting Indicators of Food Security (CARI) score, and 3) high prevalence of other specific protection risks, such as female-headed households, people with disabilities (PWD), elderly people, and households with a high dependency ratio. 

CACH and its local implementing partner Caritas Jordan (CAJO) have previously implemented various emergency cash assistance, multi-purpose cash, cash for work, and cash for protection in Jordan for vulnerable refugees and Jordanians of a total value of around USD 10 million. Currently, Caritas is implementing the OCHA-funded project (JOR-19/DDA-3560/SA2/Sh./INGO/14856) “Warm for Winter III” (W4W3), which initially was planned as a shelter winterization response. In agreement with OCHA, Caritas repurposed W4W3 in favor of a COVID-19 response in March 2020 to provide cash assistance to Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians. C4C will act as a continuation and scaling of W4W3 and mitigates the impact of the Government of Jordan (GoJ) imposed lockdowns, restriction movements and absolute curfews that has been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan. The two actions will benefit from economies of scale resulting in higher cost-efficiency of the present proposal.

Technically, the cash assistance will be delivered through the Common Cash Facility, a platform used by UN agencies, NGOs and the Jordanian Government (municipalities) to deliver cash assistance to the most vulnerable refugee and Jordanian HHs through the iris scan and/or mobile wallets. Caritas is a CCF member and will deliver the assistance through the mobile wallet platform “Mahfazti”. The selection of beneficiaries will be highly automized through a customized data analysis provided by Caritas’ own database along the eligibility criteria of CRTF. The beneficiary lists will be cross-checked with UNHCR RAIS to ensure no duplication of the same HH is receiving cash assistance. Caritas will directly contact eligible beneficiaries to inform them of their entitlement, duration, and to assist them in opening a mobile wallet account. Caritas will prepare an instructional video on opening mobile wallet and how to use it which will be shared with all beneficiaries with smartphones. To those who lack a smartphone or have difficulties in operating one, Caritas will provide direct assistance in meeting them at Umniah shops. Post-distribution monitoring will be conducted after the 1st instalment to verify the effectiveness of the new cash delivery mechanism and check for the beneficiaries’ feedback on and satisfaction with using Mahfazti. In addition, baseline and endline surveys will be conducted to check if HHs were able to meet their basic needs, reduced negative coping strategies and confirm overall satisfaction with the assistance.