Humanitarian Aid Assistance Using Blockchain Technology For Disbursements

United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR) completed a successful small scale pilot program in Ukraine in December 2022, to disburse cash to people internally displaced or affected by the war in Ukraine.

The programme, designed to be easy to use for recipients, allows them to convert this assistance to cash, withdrawing their funds in dollars, euros, or local currency, or to transfer the amount to a personal bank account. This support can then be used to cover basic needs like rent, food, medical care and heating during the winter.

This pilot project in Ukraine is a first of its kind and UNHCR has identified there is potential for careful and considered scale up.

The project was also recognized at the 2023 Paris Blockchain Week, winning the “Best Impact Project Award” for a pilot project using blockchain technology.

BCG’s Role in The Pilot Program

To get there, BCG Platinion helped the UNHCR design the end state architecture; developing a “Donor Dashboard” of information about how the funds are distributed; secured the solution for compliance with SOC 2; analyzed costs and supported the development of the platform in terms of project management.