No Household Left Behind: Afghanistan Targeting the Ultra Poor Impact Evaluation

This study contributes to a growing body of evidence aiming to understand how multi-faceted interventions can help reduce persistent poverty. It tests whether a “big-push” intervention called the “Targeting the Ultra Poor” (TUP) program can reduce poverty in one of the most difficult settings in the world, Afghanistan, when most recipients are women.

By providing a time-limited package that combines a large investment in a productive asset, access to savings accounts, temporary cash support, skills training, coaching, and other complementary services related to education and health, the TUP aims to lift ultra-poor households out of poverty. This study assesses the impact of the TUP program implemented in Balkh province in Afghanistan where 1,219 of the poorest households across 80 villages were randomly assigned to participate in the experiment.