Maximizing Impact of Aid on Civilian Protection during Conflict: A Field Experiment among Palestinian Refugees from Gaza in Egypt

Last registered on February 10, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Maximizing Impact of Aid on Civilian Protection during Conflict: A Field Experiment among Palestinian Refugees from Gaza in Egypt
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0017800
Initial registration date
February 05, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
February 10, 2026, 6:14 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Amira El-Shal
Affiliation
Cairo University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Raul Sanchez-de-la-Sierra
PI Affiliation
University of Chicago
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-01-01
End date
2026-09-30
Keywords
Crime, Violence, & Conflict, Post-conflict
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Alleviating hunger frees up cognitive and time resources, potentially improving mental health, encouraging labor market participation, and reducing reliance on negative coping strategies. However, in contexts where gender norms shape labor supply and childcare responsibilities, this could exacerbate gender inequality and lead to welfare shifts that are not Pareto improving. Furthermore, in contexts of refugees, while shared experiences of violence can foster solidarity and amplify the benefits of aid, alleviating hunger, by influencing mental health, may amplify or reduce this solidarity effect form displacement, with implications for the welfare effects of aid. This study evaluates two interventions: hunger alleviation via e-vouchers and volunteering opportunities. The interventions are cross-randomized across 1,608 households: 498 (31.0%) receive e-vouchers only (T1), 305 (19.0%) receive volunteering only (T2), 504 (31.3%) received both food and volunteering (T3), and 301 (18.7%) received no intervention (business-as-usual). The primary outcomes include food security and hunger, physical and mental health, labor supply, volunteering uptake, and political beliefs, attitudes, and preferences. This study is conducted in partnership with the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB), which provides logistical support for both the e-voucher and volunteering components.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
El-Shal, Amira and Raul Sanchez-de-la-Sierra. 2026. "Maximizing Impact of Aid on Civilian Protection during Conflict: A Field Experiment among Palestinian Refugees from Gaza in Egypt." AEA RCT Registry. February 10. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17800-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2025-03-01
Intervention End Date
2026-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
- Food security
- Mental health
- Economic outcomes
- Social cohesion
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
- Food security: Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIS), Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS)
- Mental health: WHO-5 well-being index, HSCL-25 depression screening, other psychosocial well-being measures
- Economic outcomes: Labor supply, income, reservation wages, time-use patterns
- Social cohesion: Network formation, prosociality measures, identity assessments

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The study implements a 2×2 factorial design crossing two interventions: (1) hunger alleviation through monthly e-vouchers for food purchases, and (2) opportunities to volunteer with the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB). A sample of 1,608 households is randomly assigned to four arms: e-vouchers only (T1, n=498, 31.0%), volunteering offer only (T2, n=305, 19.0%), both interventions (T3, n=504, 31.3%), or neither (control, n=301, 18.7%). The factorial design allows us to estimate the independent and joint effects of each intervention.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization is carried out using a computer-based random number generator.
Randomization Unit
The unit of randomization is the household.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
1,608 households
Sample size: planned number of observations
1,608 households
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
- 498 (31.0%) receive food only (T1)
- 305 (19.0%) receive volunteering offer only (T2)
- 504 (31.3%) receive both food and volunteering offer (T3)
- 301 (18.7%) receive no intervention (business-as-usual)
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Institutional Review Board, The American University in Cairo
IRB Approval Date
2025-08-03
IRB Approval Number
2024-2025-281
Analysis Plan