Cash transfers amid shocks: A large, one-time, unconditional cash transfer to refugees in Uganda has multidimensional benefits after 19 months

Refugees in protracted displacement are often limited in their opportunities for income-generating activities and investments, making them dependent on aid for meeting basic needs. In the context of stretched humanitarian aid budgets, it is a necessary policy question to determine ways to increase refugees’ self-reliance. In this study, we combine a randomized controlled trial with extensive longitudinal qualitative data to explore the multidimensional impacts of a large, one-time, unconditional transfer of 1,000 USD to households of predominantly South Sudanese refugees living in protracted displacement in Uganda. Estimated after 19 months, we find that the transfer significantly increased households’ consumption, asset values, business ownership, business revenue, psychological well-being, and self-reliance. We find positive but insignificant effects on food security, migration, employment, or female empowerment. Overall, a large one-time cash transfer given in the context of shocks has multidimensional improvements in refugees’ lives, providing meaningful movement towards self-reliance.