The USAID/OFDA Response to Emergency Food Security Needs in Northern Mali (EFSN) program, which started in July 2012, was implemented during a particularly volatile period in Northern Mali characterized by one of the worst humanitarian crises in the Sahel and the occupation of nearly half of the Malian territory by diverse armed groups1. Mercy Corps' intervention was designed to provide emergency assistance to the most affected households in the Ansongo commune of Northern Mali, in order to help them meet their basic needs in spite of the effects of drought, persistent insecurity, and mass displacement. In late 2012, Mercy Corps distributed three months of value vouchers to the 2,315 most vulnerable households in the Ansongo commune, providing a cash injection into the local economy and allowing these households to meet their basic needs while awaiting harvests.