Cash Digitization: UN Collaboration, Coordination, and Harmonization Opportunities

New digitization study recommends strengthening cash assistance collaboration across UN agencies & partners, to improve coordination and harmonization.

Opinion: 3 unexpected solutions for greater climate action

Dollars and Change-Podcast

Wharton Business Radio hosts Better Than Cash Alliance on the “Dollars and Change” podcast….

Blockchain for humanitarian action and development aid

Blockchain technology is swiftly entering the fields of humanitarian and development aid. While it has the potential to revolutionize the aid sector, e.g., through pairing smart contracts wi…

Affordable and Accessible Remittance Services for Refugees: A Toolkit Toolkit

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) developed this toolkit in collaboration with Bankable Frontier Associates (BFA).

Guidelines for ID4D Diagnostics Toolkit

The focus of this Guide is on the design and implementation of digital ID systems that provide people with proof of legal identity, which is commonly needed to access basic services, rights, and protections.

One token changing the game for sustainable rural water supply in Tanzania

A water payment’s digitization project resulted in tripling water utility payments and reducing water collection waiting time from 3 hour to 10 minutes on average within a year, benefitting …

Branchless Banking in Pakistan: Opportunities and Challenges

The paper examines strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of branchless banking and recommends some strategies around the identified challenges with a focus on Pakistan.

Interview with Maha Bahou, Central Bank of Jordan “Our strategy is national, not institutional”

Ms. Maha Bahou is the Executive Manager for Payment Systems & Domestic Banking Operations and Financial Inclusion Department at the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ)….

The role of Financial Services in Humanitarian Crises

The report provides evidence on role of financial inclusion in bringing efficiencies to emergency transfers through digital and mobile distribution channels.

How Digital Payments Are Connecting People With Opportunities To Improve Their Lives

This blog post was originally published in the Huffington Post…

When aid goes digital: 4 factors to bear in mind

Introducing GSM-enabled PAYG Solar in Cambodia

The report tracks the implementation of a Cambodian company Kamwork’s pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar home systems (SHSs) with GSM-based machine-to- machine (M2M) connectivity to validate the business model and determine what level of support from GSM network coverage.

Done Right, Digital Finance Could Transform Humanitarian Response

Originally published on CGAP.org

The importance of partnerships in humanitarian response

Crises of all sorts, from conflicts to natural disasters to health emergencies, are happening at unprecedented rates around the world — so much so that the United Nations convened the first World Humanitarian Summit this week.

Quality of service more important than cost for humanitarian workers

The report provides key findings from the mobile money workshops conducted by Electronic Cash Transfer Learning Action Network (ELAN) in January 2016- one in Dakar (Senegal) and other one in Gisenyi (Rwanda).

IRC: Financial transfers an essential part of humanitarian response

The 2015 Annual report of International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) highlights their work on the frontlines of Syrian crisis.

Five Ways Digital Payments Are Coming to the Rescue in Emergencies

The ability to make and receive payments electronically has emerged, in recent years, as a technology hero during natural disasters and health pandemics. At a time when more people than ever…

World Humanitarian Summit Edition

Good news ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit