Paper short abstract:

The paper addresses the issue of measuring the impact of food assistance for policy and programme design in Somalia based on a household economy matrix and a structural path analysis. The impact of cash transfers is evaluated with respect to access to food and the household livelihood.

Paper long abstract:

The paper contributes to the debate on the role policy and programme design plays in food assistance. The innovative element of this study is the use of a household economy matrix, which looks at the household economy as a unit of production, consumption and market and non-market exchange and considers the household economy and sustainable livelihood approaches. Based on this method of organising data, a structural path analysis was applied to the normal economy of a poor household in the Bay Agro-pastoral High Potential Livelihood Zone in Somalia and the impact of cash transfers was investigated, not only with respect to their primary objectives (as in existing literature), but with regards to all spheres of the household economy and livelihood options. Understanding the poles that do not relay influence helps to anticipate negative unintended consequences.

The results underline the potential positive impact of food assistance on the livelihood of poor households in the analysed area, which is interpreted in light of possible constraining factors to the manifestation of such positive effects. The results also suggests the importance of reciprocal interactions between the household and local economy for the household and general recovery.