Supporting Informal Social Protection Networks During Protracted Crises

During protracted crises, including conflict, informal social protection networks are critical sources of coping and survival. Communities themselves are often the first responders in a crisis, reacting long before the arrival of external assistance. However, despite calls for more localized approaches to aid, the aid community continues to overlook, and sometimes inadvertently undermine these local networks. Given significant funding gaps and unprecedented humanitarian need, working with and through informal support systems is an untapped opportunity and an imperative for aid actors to maximize impact as they look to do more with less.

This fact sheet summarizes key lessons from the research synthesis, Informal Social Protection Networks & Resilience in Conflict-Affected Contexts: Lessons from South Sudan and Yemen.