How can blockchain help refugees?
Refugees faces many hard challenges. Among them that they may not have any identification. It could be no identification att all, or identification that is not valid in the country they are in. United Nations World Food Programme is using blockchain based cards in a refugee camp in Jordan. With the card the refugees can buy food in shops in the refugee camp. Several other bodies within the UN are considering using blockchain technology. One advantage of this would be less loss of funds to middlemen and a more transparent aid system.
https://migrationdataportal.org/blog/how-blockchain-can-benefit-migration-programmes-and-migrants
Another challenge for a refugee can be that before he of she recieves national identity papers in a new country it is almost impossible to open a bank account. Without a bank account it is hard to get a job because employers will not pay salaries in cash. The Finnish migration board has solved this by using a blockchain based system that enables the refugee to get and make payments electronically. The system is developed by the company Moni and has been in use for two years. The refugee recieves a Moni card that can be used like a master card.
In the last meeting in Davos for the world economic forum, George Soros spoke about blockchain as a possible solution for helping refugees worldwide to bring their assets with them and also to stay in contact with their family.
Blockchain technology holds a lot of potential value which we are just exploring just a bit. In few years to come, we'll have solutions to lots of problems we face today especially in reaching to underdeveloped countries and to people who are in war torn countries. I hope to read more about the potential usefulness of blockchain technology.
Blockchain can be really handy in tracking the culture, religion and the genepool. I wonder if that much in depth usage is possible?