This thesis sheds some light on how cash and voucher assistance (CVA) can promote sustainable livelihood outcomes in protracted crisis settings, analyzing the case study of Northeast Syria. It aims to contribute to the design of CVA programming in Syria and similar contexts in a way that fosters sustainable livelihoods and advances self-sufficiency among affected populations. The two core concepts – CVA and livelihoods – are first conceptualized separately, followed by an extensive literature review, which provides an empirical perspective and identifies some channels through which CVA can promote sustainable livelihoods. Eight semi-structured interviews, representing the views of a donor agency, INGOs, the humanitarian coordination architecture, and a CVA network of practitioners, then provide in-depth insights into Northeast Syria specifically. While this thesis identifies four CVA instruments that are implemented by humanitarian organizations to promote livelihoods in Northeast Syria, it equally finds that the context is characterized by structural barriers which cannot be addressed by humanitarian CVA alone. To tackle structural barriers and account for the paradigm shift the Syrian crisis is undergoing, the international community needs to adjust its funding approach in a way that promotes longer-term thinking and sustainable livelihoods both in Syria and other protracted crisis settings.

Cash assistance has emerged as a vital tool for supporting household recovery in Nepal after multiple disasters, including the 2015 earthquake, 2018 drought, and COVID-19 pandemic. This research engages with organizational learning theory to explore how cash programs evolved overtime and identify the challenges and opportunities encountered in program implementation. Using semi-structured interviews, I recorded the experiences of individuals from NGOs, INGOs, and donor agencies involved in managing these programs in Nepal. While initial skepticism from the government, limited resources, and beneficiaries' lack of access to financial institutions presented obstacles, cash programs empowered individuals to meet their needs and revitalized local economies. The research identifies that technological integration, use of market analysis, and collaboration with financial institutions as evidence of learning from past programs to inform new programs; however, government resistance remained a barrier. Interview participants emphasized the importance of collaboration, innovation, and adaptation to improve future cash programs and, build a more resilient Nepal that is better prepared for future disasters.