A Case Study of Blockchain Use in Azraq Refugee Camp

While blockchain technology is widely known for its application on cryptocurrencies, there are many more applications, and some of them can save millions of lives in the world. At Azraq refugee camp in Jordan, World Food Programme(WFP) provides foods for refugees through local markets and local restaurants. However, there were two major problems. One is that transactions of those foods have to go through banks, costing WFP millions of transactions fees. The other is that it is difficult to keep track of the amount of food each individual received in order to prevent the abuse of the program. To tackle those problems,  WFP introduced blockchain technology to record transactions. This research examines the effectiveness of the use of blockchain in the camp from two aspects: how much cost was cut and how refugees reacted to it. Through the study of these data, this research seeks to investigate further possible applications of the technology in refugee camps. Technological possibility and practical effectiveness will both be considered in this process.