UNHCR Wins Award for Crypto Donations to Ukraine Refugees – Trustnodes

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UN’s refugees agency, has received an innovation award for its use of crypto towards aiding internally displaced Ukrainians.

The program directly gives cash in USDc to approved aid recipients who only need to download a wallet, in this case Vibrant app.

This wallet has partnered with MoneyGram, so refugees can instantly turn the stablecoin into fiat for food or to cover rent.

It is crucial to use technology, said Kelly Clements, the Deputy High Commissioner at UNHCR, and “to adapt solutions to the needs of the most vulnerable and the context in which they will be implemented.”

This is a pilot project, currently running only in Kyiv, Lviv, and Vinnytsia, but might expand depending on its progress.

It is one of the first program of its kind, and it is part of UN’s commitment to expand the provision of cash as a key form of assistance.

They have given $5 billion in cash assistance to 35 million people in 100 countries since 2016, and in breaking some ground the agency is treating the tokenized dollar as pretty much cash.

“For fleeing Ukrainians, and primarily for those whose banks are inaccessible, this pilot project providing humanitarian assistance using a digital wallet, will serve as a possible lifeline for survival,” said Oleksandr Bornyakov, the Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, back in December when this project was first announced.

Ukraine has received more than $100 million in crypto donations since February last year, much of it in ethereum.

This is the first time a government has directly utilized crypto, and initially they even said there would be a token airdrop to donators, which was later cancelled.

Officials at the time praised the role of crypto in those crucial first few hours and days, citing its speed as a potential advantage.

UNHCR has not yet produced a report on its pilot, but the award given during the Paris Blockchain Week last month recognizes it is breaking ground.

No breakthrough has been found where the war itself is concerned however. A year on, both sides are digging trenches, rather than holding any hope this is going to end anytime soon.