Somalia CWG Framework: Integrated MPCA as Primary Response - 16 February 2026

Background & Rationale

The 2025 HNRP cycle revealed persistent challenges in delivering a truly integrated, people-centered response. Sectoral Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and MPCA were often planned and implemented in parallel, leading to duplication, inefficient use of resources, and a fragmented experience for affected communities.

The Imperative for a Reset: Rising Needs, Shrinking Resources

This challenge is now compounded by an unprecedented funding crisis. Humanitarian needs in Somalia continue to rise, with 4.8 million people in need as per the 2026 HNRP requiring assistance, yet the 2025 HNRP was only 29 per cent funded. Simultaneously, the humanitarian sector is confronting a significant contraction in available resources. Recent US funding decisions—including the suspension of assistance to Somalia's Federal Government and broader aid pauses—have severely disrupted the –humanitarian response, further exacerbating vulnerabilities among already crisis-affected communities . This new funding landscape demands a fundamental shift in how we operate, maximizing every dollar for impact.

In response to this global funding crisis, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, issued the Humanitarian Reset Paper, which calls for a fundamental change in humanitarian operations. A key pillar of this reset is to scale the use of Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) wherever feasible, recognizing it as a more efficient, effective, and dignified way to meet the multi-sectoral needs of crisis-affected populations. This framework is a direct operationalization of that directive for the Somalia context.

Donor Strategic Priorities for MPCA

The need for this reset was further underscored by recent strategic discussions with donors, who emphasized two core principles:

• MPCA as a Central Pillar, Not a Gap Filler: Donors highlighted that with 15-20 years of evidence demonstrating MPCA's cost efficiency, its tailored relevance to specific crises (including nutrition-sensitive approaches), and its clear preference by affected communities, it can no longer be treated as an afterthought. The framework must therefore ensure MPCA is delivered across all districts as per ABC decisions, rather than being considered only after all other sectoral responses have been planned.

• MPCA as the Foundation for Deconfliction: The current deconfliction exercise, which often prioritizes other sectors first, was identified as costly and inefficient. Donors called for a revised approach where MPCA serves as the foundation and first consideration for common caseloads—particularly where vulnerability and food insecurity/malnutrition overlap. This means MPCA should be prioritized over sectoral food assistance, with the understanding that this may shift resources from the Food Security Cluster (FSC) to MPCA to cover food needs. The same principle can be applied to other sectors, such as covering hygiene kit or shelter-related costs through MPCA rather than parallel in-kind or sectoral cash distributions.

This new framework directly addresses these imperatives by fundamentally revising the HNRP planning and implementation process. It moves from a sectoral-silo approach to a strategic, sequenced model where MPCA
covers essential multi-sectoral needs first, and sectoral assistance is layered on only to address specific, - needs that cash alone cannot resolve—ensuring we deliver more with less in this challenging funding environment.

Purpose:

This operational framework provides clear, decision-oriented guidance for 2026 HNRP planning and delivery, ensuring that where applicable, Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) is applied as the primary response to multi-sectoral basic needs, with sectoral assistance layered, coordinated and de-duplicated based on existing technical standards and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the annexes. It aims to prevent parallel delivery - while supporting integrated, people-centered responses.

Scope

This guidance is applicable to unconditional cash and voucher assistance and does not apply to conditional cash transfers and other forms of cash plus specific sectoral assistance whose objectives cannot be met through pure unconditional cash transfers and/or MPCA e.g. specialized health services, specialized nutrition services, protection and GBV, shelter construction, WASH infrastructure, cash+ critical emergency livestock and agriculture inputs, rehabilitation of critical community infrastructure and asset creation through cash for work etc.
The Framework applies to all CWG members and partners providing cash and voucher assistance in Somalia across all the humanitarian sectors.

Core Principle:

Where a multi-sectoral needs assessment (e.g., RNA, MSNA) confirms that a household has multiple, concurrent basic needs, Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) will be the default and primary response, provided that

1) MPCA is the preferred modality among affected recipients,

2) markets are functional and accessible, and

3) the primary objective is to address overall basic needs; within this framework, sectoral unconditional Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) plays a distinct and complementary role, strictly defined and deployed according to the Cash Working Group (CWG) Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) methodology and relevant sectoral technical standards and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), with the core operational objective being to ensure a sequenced and complementary approach between MPCA and sectoral CVA through rigorous, coordinated targeting and distinct operational approaches that prevent overlap while ensuring all critical needs are met comprehensively.
The framework would be operationalized at district level through the ABC coordination architecture, ensuring de-duplication and referrals are undertaken based on agreed SOPs and guidance. The ICCG, the Operation Cell (OC), and the State Level Humanitarian Coordination Groups (SHCG) would provide the necessary guidance and support, including district level planned responses.

MPCA primary response will be time-bound and not exceed 3 months, in line with the existing endorsed CWG MPCA response framework.

MPCA as Primary Response:
MPCA would be planned as the primary response when all the following conditions are met:

• The objective is meeting basic/essential multisectoral needs (food, Wash, Education, Protection, shelter-related costs, utilities, NFIs, transport)
• Multisectoral needs can be addressed through unconditional cash-transfers.
• Markets are functional and beneficiaries have access to markets
• No government or de facto authority restrictions on cash
• Financial service providers are available with wide network coverage, including in rural, underserved and hard-to-reach areas
• Population faces interlinked and multiple multi-sector deprivations, vulnerabilities and needs
• Security and access conditions allow safe delivery

CWG member organizations are required to consider the above criteria in designing and planning their interventions for MPCA, with the exception of the below conditional cash and/or cash plus sector-specific and technical standards, objectives and outcomes cannot be met through unconditional multi-purpose cash transfers -

• Health services,
• Specialized nutrition services,
• Protection, GBV and Child protection case management
• WASH infrastructure
• Shelter construction or repair requiring materials/standards
• Cash plus critical emergency livestock and agriculture inputs
• Rehabilitation of critical community infrastructure and asset creation through cash for work schemes
Parallel sectoral targeting for unconditional CVA for basic/essential needs that are already addressed through MPCA is -to be avoided

Deduplication may not be considered for sectoral CVA programs or conditional cash transfers targeting specifical individuals in the HHs – such as Protection, GBV, Sexual and reproductive health or programs providing a small amount for specific outcomes such as cash for education to support school fees or school materials. `

Trigger for MPCA response:

To ensure a realistic, operationally feasible and realistic targeting approach that is impactful, MPCA will only be triggered where there is a need for multi-sectoral basic needs for a minimum of 300 households (1,800 individuals). Considering the inherent and context specific needs in hard-to- reach areas with access constraints, the MPCA trigger will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on the recommendations from the respective ABCs.