Oxfam Fresh Food Voucher Programme: Rohingya refugee response in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, January 2018 – September 2019

Overview

In response to the rapid influx of Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, south-east Bangladesh, Oxfam implemented a Fresh Food Voucher (FFV) programme in August 2017. Vouchers were distributed on a monthly basis from January 2018 to August 2019, with funding from ECHO and the DEC. The intervention aimed to ensure dignified access to a wide range of fresh food for vulnerable and food-insecure refugee households and to improve their nutritional status. The programme also aimed to support the local economy by making goods available from local market vendors, who sourced produce locally where possible.  

This report presents the key findings of the evaluation of the initiative, with lessons and recommendations. It is hoped that this will prove useful for agencies using voucher programming in the Rohingya response and elsewhere. It is also a contribution to the wider influencing agenda around market-based programming, including cash and vouchers.