The European nation of Belgium has contributed €2 million to support the United Nation's World Food Programme and its technology projects, including its blockchain-based payments pilot for refugees.
As CoinDesk has previously reported, WFP launched an ethereum-based payments pilot in 2017 with the intention of increasing the efficacy and transparency of cash transfers to displaced Syrians in Jordanian refugee camps.
Belgium's contribution will be used to expand research of the agency's blockchain solutions in addition to its unmanned aerial vehicle project, which it intends to use for topographical data collection and damage analysis to better cope with natural disasters.
"Belgium lauds the efforts of the WFP to come up with innovative solutions to save more lives and help more people in need."
The U.N's food assistance branch claims the project, dubbed Building Blocks, "Is delivering more [aid] for less, offering donors better value for money."
The WFP is one of several U.N. agencies exploring blockchain applications.
In 2017, the U.N. Office for Project Services organized a blockchain working group which, in addition to the WFP, includes the participation of the U.N. Development Programme, the U.N. Children's Fund, U.N. Women, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the U.N. Development Group.
WFP image via U.S. Department of Defense.
The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies.
CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.
€2 Million Donation to Fund World Food Programme Blockchain Project
Published on Apr 20, 2018
by Coindesk | Published on Coinage
Coinage
Recent News
View All
Blockchain Bites: Bitcoin's Run, Uniswap's Hemorrhaging Value, Anchorage's Banking Bid
Bitcoin is nearing all-time highs in price and market cap last set three years ago.
Japan's megabanks to lead experiment with digital yen
We have, in order, Cheese Bank with a $3.3 million theft, Akropolis with its $2 million loss, Value DeFi with a whopping $6 million exploit and finally Origin Protocol's loss of $7 million.
Number of new Bitcoin addresses spikes amid growing FOMO
Japan's three largest banks, as part of a group of 30 private sector actors, are set to collaborate on an experiment with a digital yen.
Not just Wall Street: Quant trader explains why Bitcoin price is going up
Sam Trabucco, a quantitative trader at Alameda Research, believes four general factors are pushing up the price of Bitcoin.