The Government of Malawi in Collaboration with the World Bank, GIZ, UNICEF, European Union and International Labour Organisation (ILO) have commenced the implementation of the Urban Cash Transfer in the cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba.

The Urban Cash Transfer programme is being implemented as a COVID-19 response to cushion livelihoods of the urban poor and those depending their livelihoods on vulnerable employment.

National Local Government Finance Committee (NLFGC) Director of Infrastructure and Economic Development, Paul Chipeta said the Urban Cash Transfer in is line with pillar III of the Malawi National Social Support Program (MNSSP) II; “Shock Sensitive Social Protection,” which talks about the expendability and adaptability of Social Support Policies in times of shocks.

“The programme is being implemented to cushion poor urban households from the effects caused by the COVID19 pandemic. It is targeting the urban poor that are in the urban poverty hotspots and the provision of social support, partly ensures some sort of income redistribution thereby cushioning the beneficiaries and their immediate dependents from abject poverty,” said Chipeta.

In addition, the programme also seeks to protect the beneficiaries from engaging in negative coping mechanisms and selling off of productive assets that might come due to loss of an assured source of livelihood.

In total the Urban Social Cash Transfer will reach 186,000 households in the four cities. Chipeta says the World Bank will provide support in Blantyre and Lilongwe to 109,000 households with the remaining households covered by support from the EU and GIZ.

A spot check in Lilongwe at the time of going to print found that enumerators were registering and collecting data of residents in the hotspots identified with the guidance of Ward Committee members.

The collected data for all the targeted households in the hotspots will be assessed for vulnerability in terms of livelihood characteristics/sources, job and food insecurities among other things by the National Technical Team together with City Council Technical Teams.

The Urban Cash Transfer will be implemented for a period of 3 months with a possibility of expansion for a further 6 months.