2017年-世界发展银行全球_The_Role_of_Financial_Services_in_Humanitarian_Crises_48页_1mb

Summary of "The Role of Financial Services in Humanitarian Crises"

Core Content

This paper explores the critical role of financial services in addressing humanitarian crises and highlights the potential of financial inclusion to support both displaced populations and their host communities. It is a collaborative effort between the World Bank and CGAP, funded by the State and Peace-Building Fund (SPF), and aims to bridge the gap between humanitarian and development approaches by emphasizing the importance of financial services in fostering resilience and sustainable livelihoods.

Main Points and Key Information

1. The Growing Scale and Complexity of Humanitarian Crises

• The number of forcibly displaced people has surged, reaching a record 65 million in 2015, with over 90% hosted in developing countries.
• Displacement is becoming more protracted, with 40% of refugees under UNHCR's mandate in a protracted situation.
• Natural disasters and climate-related events are also displacing millions, with the number of affected people increasing by nearly 50% in 2014.

2. Financial Inclusion as a Key Tool

• Financial inclusion allows vulnerable populations to build assets, mitigate shocks, and make productive investments.
• It stimulates local economic activity by supporting microbusinesses and is positively correlated with economic growth.
• Over 75% of adults in countries with humanitarian crises remain outside the formal financial system.

3. Financial Services in Crisis Contexts

• Remittances: Help maintain consumption and support local economic activity.
• Savings: Provide self-insurance and reduce the need for negative coping mechanisms like asset depletion or child labor.
• Insurance and Social Protection: Help protect assets and support recovery of small businesses, though implementation is challenging due to weak institutions and low trust.
• Credit: Can be a coping mechanism but may lead to debt burdens if not used productively.
• Digital Cash Transfers: Offer new opportunities to link beneficiaries to broader financial services, but their impact on financial inclusion is still under evaluation.

4. Barriers to Financial Services in Crisis Environments

• Policy Environment: Lack of crisis-ready policies and simplified customer due diligence (CDD) frameworks.
• Infrastructure: Damage to physical and digital infrastructure hinders access to financial services.
• Donor Engagement: Donors often prioritize immediate operational delivery over long-term financial inclusion.

5. Operational Lessons and Recommendations

• Financial services providers (FSPs) must develop contingency plans, build reserve funds, and diversify client bases.
• Donors should support market players in preparing for crises and invest in financial infrastructure and digital payment systems.
• Host countries should be supported in building their capacity to manage crises through financial services.
• Regulatory reforms should facilitate mobile money, simplify CDD, and improve agent networks and digital connectivity.

6. Future Research and Policy Priorities

• More research is needed on the demand for and use of financial services by crisis-affected populations.
• Improved evidence on specific financial products (e.g., digital payments) is required to guide policy and programmatic interventions.
• Donors should encourage the integration of financial inclusion objectives into humanitarian programming and align incentives for aid agencies.

Conclusion

The paper underscores the importance of shifting from supply-driven to demand-driven approaches in humanitarian crises, emphasizing the need for multi-year strategies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It advocates for stronger collaboration between development and humanitarian actors, improved regulatory frameworks, and increased investment in financial infrastructure and digital technologies to enhance the resilience of crisis-affected populations.

Annexes and Supporting Information

• Annex 1: Terminology – Defines key terms such as IDPs, refugees, and financial inclusion.
• Annex 2: Bibliography – Lists sources and references used in the analysis.

Figures and Boxes

• Figure 1: Displacement on the Rise (1951–2015)
• Figure 2: Duration of Refugee Displacement
• Figure 3: Account Penetration in Selected Countries with Humanitarian Crisis
• Box 1: Approach Used for Presenting Financial Inclusion Data
• Box 2: IDPs versus Refugees

This paper provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how financial services can support crisis-affected populations and outlines actionable recommendations for stakeholders to improve financial inclusion in humanitarian settings.