Social cash assistance for food security during a disaster: lesson learned from Indonesia

Abstract

There was a change in the environment and food security threat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries, including Indonesia, are forced to allocate funds to reduce the risk of this disaster. The Government Republic of Indonesia, through the Ministry of Social Affairs, has launched a Social Cash Assistance Program for 10 million families affected by COVID-19. This study aims to identify how families affected by COVID-19 take advantage of this social cash assistance. The study was conducted on the beneficiaries of social assistance, in cash transfer of IDR 600,000 (USD 40), per month, for three months. This study involved 2290 beneficiaries as respondents spread across 12 provinces. The sampling technique was the Cohen Manion Morrison Table by proportional stratified random sampling. The findings show that (1) 99% of cash assistance is used for basic needs, especially for food, and (2) cash assistance could be used for basic needs for around two to three weeks, thereby strengthening food security. Recommendations are submitted based on the results of this study related to social cash assistance and food security. The first is that this assistance still needs to be continued until the COVID-19 pandemic is over. It is to help families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic meet their daily needs. Second, most respondents do not have a fixed income during the pandemic, so providing capital and business startups are needed to increase family income sustainably to maintain food security.

Kearifan Lokal dalam Pelayanan Kesejahteraan Sosial Saat Kebencanaan (Refleksi Pengalaman Masyarakat Saat Terjadi Covid-19)

“…Pada kenyataan di lapangan selama pandemi COVID-19, banyak kelompok warga masyarakat yang secara mandiri dan berswadaya ikut serta atau berperan dalam pelayanan kesejahteraan sosial bagi korban atau warga yang terdampak pandemi COVID-19. Hasil penjajagan seorang tokoh masyarakat di Kalurahan Potorono, Kapanewon Banguntapan, Kabupaten Bantul Giyono (65 tahun) menyatakan, bahwa dalam kondisi merebaknya wabah COVID-19, warga masyarakat yang mau ikut berperan dalam penanganan korban COVID-19 dan bersedia memberikan layanan kesejahteraaan sosial bagi mereka yang terdampak (Susantyo et al, 2023), hanyalah bermodal ketahanan baik secara fisik, psikis, mental psikologis, maupun secara sosial. Pernyataan lain dalam situasi mewabahnya pandemi COVID-19 yang mengancam seluruh warga, maka masyarakat yang peduli dan bersedia memberikan layanan bagi warga lain yang menjadi korban COVID-19 atau orang yang terdampak, adalah mereka yang berketahanan sosial.…”

Does Regionalism Work in Managing the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Case Study of ASEAN

“…With these experiences, some ASEAN Member States have then built their emergency preparedness and response plans, although each Member States have disproportionate policy responses (Purnomo et al, 2022). At the national level, there have been some are some examples of how countries addressing the COVID-19 pandemic through social work and social assistance schemes (Susantyo et al, 2023). Sina-on et al (2022) for example, examined the experiences of Child Caring Agencies in the Philippines that offer free residential care services for Children in Need of Special Protection amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Social Protection in Indonesia: Reforming Opportunities during Covid-19 Pandemic

“…In 2011 the Government finally issued Social Security Carrier law that stipulates the necessary arrangements needed for a social security company to operate, among others, special legal status, governance, task and function, rights and obligation, funding, fiduciary arrangements, and rights to apply sanctions, etc. affected and in need, in the beginning the Government launched seven cash transfer programs, in addition to existing social assistance programs mentioned above (Habibullah et al, 2022;Kementerian Komunikasi dan Informatika, 2020a, 2020bLutfi, 2021;Susantyo et al, 2023):…”