Food vouchers on cellphones
2009-10-27 15:59
Geneva - Iraqi refugees in Syria will receive UN food vouchers through text messages on mobile phones, the World Food Programme said on Tuesday.
In a test project targeting 1 000 Iraqi refugee families, the US agency will send a $22 voucher every two months by SMS to each family, who will be provided with a special SIM card.
The beneficiary can then exchange the electronic voucher for rice, wheat flour, lentils, chickpeas, oil, canned fish, cheese and eggs at selected shops.
Addressing concerns about mobile phone ownership among the refugee population, WFP spokesperson Emilia Casella said all the 130 000 Iraqi refugees currently receiving food aid from the agency in Syria have mobile phones.
"We're currently providing news about distributions on mobile phone messages to the 130 000 caseload right now," she said.
Additional market
The pilot project extends the use of paper food vouchers via mobile technology.
"This if it bears fruit will potentially be continued," she added.
Casella said food vouchers in general allow people to "buy food when they need it as opposed to having to queue in long lines or go to distribution centres".
"It also is better for the economies of the communities in which we're able to use food vouchers because in essence we're not giving food away, but we're actually providing an additional market to the local shopkeepers," she added.
- SAPA