ISLAMABAD: The World Bank, in its latest report released today (Saturday), recognized Ehsaas Cash Emergency programme among the top four social protection interventions globally in terms of number of people covered.
The World Bank released a report on “global social protection responses to COVID-19”. The paper presents a 650-page volume and accompanying database documenting how countries and territories are planning, implementing or completing social protection measures in the context of the pandemic.
According to the report, exponential growth was witnessed in social protection measures between March 20, 2020 and May 14, 2021. “A total of 3,333 social protection measures have been planned or implemented in 222 countries or territories,” it added.
Pakistan ranks 4th globally in terms of the number of people covered and 3rd globally in terms of percentage of population covered amongst those that covered over 100 million people.
The report stated that Pakistan’s Ehsaas also ranked high amongst the programs that did well in terms of Planned versus actual coverage rates. A total of 734 cash-based measures have been planned or implemented in 186 countries. Highest level of spending in lower-middle-income countries category is observed in Mongolia Zimbabwe, Bolivia, and Pakistan.
Pakistan adopted an innovative hybrid targeting approach to enroll new beneficiaries combining emergency assistance for the known vulnerable with demand-based support for the “new poor”.
Ehsaas Emergency Cash delivered cash stipends of Rs. 12,000 to 15 million households last year, which meant helping over 100 million people or half the country’s population, representing the largest and most extensive social protection intervention ever in the history of the country.
Ehsaas Emergency Cash will be an important component of the redesign of social protection, post COVID-19 and will help in the great global reimagination of social welfare envisaged in Ehsaas.
