Cash versus in-kind transfer programs in humanitarian operations: An optimization program and a case study

Humanitarian organizations, mandated with responding to emergencies, generally provide food assistance via in-kind and/or cash transfers. Although cash and in-kind transfers have had varying effects across different regions, the superiority of one over the other has been debated. This study considers a mixed strategy that includes both cash and in-kind transfer in the presence of finite budget, given a slow-onset disaster such as famine or …