Blockchain-enabled humanitarian aid: A case study of the World Food Programme

While there is a rise in the applications of Blockchain technology in humanitarian and development aid programs, our understanding of Blockchain implementation and the resulting implications remains scant in this context. This research-in-progress report on the research currently underway in the United Nations World Food Program–Building Blocks. Adopting a case study approach, this study explores how the Building Block project revolutionizes the aid programs with the application of Ethereum, a blockchain-based distributed computing platform, and what new risk and social problems perpetuate with it. The study contributes to the growing stream of Information Systems research that focuses on the virtues and vices of using Blockchain technology and enhancing the effectiveness of humanitarian aid programs. As a relatively new technology, this study assesses the appropriateness of its usage and intends to provide insights to humanitarian and development organizations to consider when employing this novel technology.