Digital Payments: Save time, save costs, save lives

This article reviews how mobile technologies can assist humanitarian organizations in overcoming an array of logistical challenges, to make crisis relief possible for children and families in vulnerable situations. In Yemen, Save the Children partnered with MasterCard to involve technology in emergency food programming. Through the use of a chip-enabled card, aid payments are distributed digitally, even in areas without telecommunications infrastructure. This method of delivery is significantly faster than paper vouchers, while also being a lot easier to track. The digitalization of aid allows for it to be distributed to areas that lack financial institutions. Moreover, it does not require constant internet connectivity, making it further suitable for remote areas.

The author encourages the U.S. Congress to endorse these methods, and for the technological sector to develop more solutions to assist crisis response.