How can social protection systems be used in disasters, as a complement to, or substitute for, humanitarian assistance? Oxford Policy Management led a three-year research project investigating this question, looking at the role of social protection in both mitigating the impact of large-scale shocks and supporting households after a crisis hits.
They identify factors that can help and hinder effective disaster response, and consider how social protection actors can best work together with others working in humanitarian assistance and disaster risk management (DRM).Six country case studies form the core of the research.
This document presents findings from one case study, Lesotho. This draws on fieldwork in October 2016, which looked at the extent to which social protection interventions and systems formed part of the response by the government and its partners to the El-Niño-induced drought and food insecurity of 2015-16. They also consider the potential for using these programmes and systems to address future shocks.
