WFP Financial Inclusion through Mobile Money

In 2020-21, thanks to a dedicated grant provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)’s initiative on digital financial inclusion and women economic empowerment, WFP Jordan embarked on a journey to deliver cash assistance through beneficiary-owned accounts, in the form of mobile wallets.

In 2022, WFP Jordan started using mobile money to transfer the salaries to men and women enrolled under livelihood activities. Based on the positive operational results and feedback received from beneficiaries, WFP Jordan started to roll-out mobile money to provide cash assistance to Syrian refugees in communities, which is the only refugee-owned account model presently authorized by the Central Bank of Jordan. Mobile money will soon be adopted to pay WFP’s School Feeding workers, covering all WFP cash assistance activities in the country.

In December, WFP reloaded over 18,000 mobile wallets with general food assistance, reaching over 90,000 Syrian refugees in communities in Amman, Ajloun, Aqaba, Balqa, Karak and Tafileh. By mid-2023, WFP hopes to reach 440,000 Syrians living in communities and camps, through 91,000 mobile wallets.

Through mobile money, WFP Jordan supports refugees in their self-reliance journey, enabling them to open their own accounts and access services that are not available through value vouchers and WFP cards, such as saving, depositing and withdrawing cash, transferring money to other accounts, and others. With mobile money, WFP cash assistance can be disbursed on any wallet within the family, not necessarily to the head of household. WFP encourages women in men-headed households to open the primary wallet to receive WFP’s assistance, as they have primary care duties within the family. In addition, beneficiaries can use their own mobile money account to receive assistance from several humanitarian and social protection agencies, all on one account. WFP and UNHCR recently started providing joint mobile money information sessions, with the objective to simplify beneficiary onboarding to mobile money and avoid duplication.