The World Food Programme (WFP) has announced that Belgium is contributing €2 million worth of funding to support its innovative projects.

Part of the United Nations system and voluntarily funded, WFP's innovative hunger solutions are benefiting some 80 million people in 80 countries around the world. The funding will help it to scale up research and trials into the use of drone and blockchain solutions to fight hunger.

In 2017, the WFP launched an Ethereum-based payments pilot aimed at enhancing the efficiency and transparency of cash transfers to displaced Syrians in Jordanian refugee camps, CoinDesk reported.

“A blockchain pilot in refugee camps in Jordan is making WFP’s cash transfers to 100,000 vulnerable Syrians more efficient and transparent. Piloted in collaboration with other agencies, the ‘Building Blocks’ project is delivering more for less, offering donors better value for money,” the WFP said.

Underscoring the importance of innovation, WFP Chief of Staff Rehan Asad said:

“The challenge of reaching Zero Hunger by 2030 is immense. Humanitarians must relentlessly look for ways to harness the most promising digital technologies in the service of the world’s most vulnerable people. We are grateful to committed partners such as Belgium for helping us do just that.”

In statements, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation, Alexander De Croo, said that innovation is key to saving lives.

“This year, more than 128 million people across the world will need humanitarian assistance and protection. This is triple the number of three years ago. Only by finding better ways to deliver aid more efficiently will we close the gap between requirements and aid delivery on the ground. Belgium lauds the efforts of WFP to come up with innovative solutions to save more lives and help more people in need,” he said.