Alongside relief supplies like mosquito nets and jerry cans, the Red Cross has been distributing small cash grants – approximately $45 – to families recovering from Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Cash allows people to make their own choices about how to piece their lives back together.
In past disasters, people have used cash to purchase items to meet pressing needs like seeds, school uniforms, bicycle parts, and mattresses. Lisa Rudolph, a member of the global Red Cross network’s cash transfer team, explains the process of surveying women in the Philippines to figure out what they have done with their small cash grants. The Red Cross cash transfer program in the Philippines is the largest effort of its kind – with a goal of reaching 50,000 families.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.
Support all the urgent humanitarian needs of the American Red Cross.
Support all the urgent humanitarian needs of the American Red Cross.
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