UN Women and WFP harness blockchain technology for Crisis Situations

In a recent press release, UN Women and the World Food Programmw (WFP)have announced that they are breaking new ground by using blockchain to assist Syrian refugee women participating in UN Women’s cash for work programmes at the Za’atari and Azraq refugee camps in Jordan.

Before adopting this technology, WFP has been doing cash transfer to refugees via third-party financial service providers such as banks. However, through blockchain, UN women and WFP are exploring the possibility of providing female refugee with cash back at WFP-contracted supermarkets or pay for thier purchases directly.

The project is part of the WFP's Building Blocks project, an innovation to to harness blockchain technology to enhance WFP's ability to deliver on its mandate. The joint approach and partnership amongst the two agencies dovetails well with UN Secretary Generals Strategy on New Technologies, which calls for  'working in partnerships' in using technologies to meet the UN's 2030 Agenda.

A Syrian woman will scan her eye to request cash back at WFP-contracted supermarkets. This will link to her account on the blockchain, and the amount of the cash distribution is automatically sent to Building Blocks. The fact that UN Women and WFP validate each other’s transaction through a common blockchain network, results in improved security and accountability. There are also opportunities for cost and risk reduction, as well as increased harmonization of aid efforts.

In turn, the UN Women also aspires to increase the financial literacy of their recipients through expense tracking and budgeting seminars conducted at their ‘Oases’, where recipients would also be able to view their Building Blocks accounts and its history online. In Za’atari and Azraq camps, UN Women’s four Oases centres are increasing training opportunities to women and girls focused on digital literacy.  

This post has relied on the press release by both agencies.