UNHCR and the Stellar Development Foundation launched a blockchain-powered cash assistance pilot in Ukraine using Stellar, enabling war-affected people to receive USDC stablecoins in digital wallets and withdraw cash at MoneyGram locations worldwide.
UNHCR and the Stellar Development Foundation announced a first-of-its-kind blockchain payment solution for distributing humanitarian aid to internally displaced persons and war-affected people in Ukraine. The pilot uses Stellar to deliver USDC stablecoins directly into recipients' digital wallets, providing secure, traceable cash assistance without requiring bank accounts. Recipients can withdraw funds at over 4,500 MoneyGram locations in Ukraine or convert to local currency. The program, piloted in Kyiv, Lviv, and Vinnytsia, complements UNHCR's cash-based intervention goals and is expected to expand to reach more people in early 2023. This demonstrates blockchain's potential to accelerate humanitarian fund delivery with transparency and accountability.
