News Articles

Thursday, October 29, 2009

United Nations distributes food vouchers by SMS

The United Nations World Food Programme has launched a pilot scheme that’s helping 1,000 Iraqi refugee families in Syria by sending them food vouchers as text messages. Iraqi refugees living in Damascus will receive a text message on their mobiles providing a code that can be used at selected government shops. They will be able to exchange part of all of their electronic vouchers for conventional aid items including rice, wheat flour, lentils, chickpeas, oil and canned fish. In addition, because the food is being bought over-the-counter and isn’t being distributed in pre-packaged parcels, cheese and eggs are also available.

Each family will receive one SMS voucher worth $22 (£13.40) per person every two months. Families will also be sent a balance update whenever they redeem part or all of a voucher. This is thought to be the first time mobiles have been used to deliver food vouchers; mobile phone service provider MTN has donated SIM cards for the project. [Press release]

Print
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Rate this article:
No rating

Categories: NewsNumber of views: 986

Tags:

Leave a comment

This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data.
Add comment

Follow thefonecast.com

Twitter @TheFonecast RSS podcast feed
Find us on Facebook Subscribe free via iTunes

Archive Calendar

«November 2024»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
28293031123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
2526272829301
2345678

Archive

Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement