Some 800,000 Syrian refugees to benefit from new UN electronic voucher programme

The United Nations food relief agency today announced that a new electronic voucher programme in Lebanon will allow hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees to meet their food needs while boosting the local economy.

By the year's end, some 800,000 refugees could be using electronic cards – or “e-cards” – at participating shops in Lebanon under an initiative realized with the technical support of the World Food Programmes's (WFP), private sector partner, MasterCard, the WFP said in a news release.

“The new e-cards will allow Syrian refugees to choose the foods they want, when they want,” said WFP's Assistant Executive Director for Partnership and Governance Services, Elisabeth Rasmusson.

Besides Lebanon, WFP will be introducing a similar e-card programme for Syrian refugees in Jordan, in a phased rollout for an initial 300,000 refugees by the end of 2013 that will continue into next year.

“We are grateful for MasterCard's assistance in setting up the e-voucher system in Lebanon and Jordan, the two countries hosting the largest number of refugees,” Ms. Rasmusson said. “It's just one example of how our combined efforts can offer powerful and innovative ways to fight hunger.”

The collaboration is part of a larger, multi-year partnership with MasterCard, launched in September 2012.

The new programme was first tested in September for some 2,000 Syrian households in the southern Lebanese town of Nabatiyeh, and is meant to replace WFP's paper vouchers.

Families will receive a card loaded monthly with $27 per person, which can be redeemed against a list of items at participating local stores. That allows them to buy the foods that fit their needs, including fresh produce which is not normally included in traditional food rations.

Syrian refugees gathered at a basketball court turned into a distribution site in Nabatiyeh South Lebanon where WFP launched the pilot project for food assistance using Electronic cards. Photo: WFP/Dalia Khamissy

By the end of the year, WFP aims to assist around 800,000 Syrian refugees across Lebanon with the cards. Each card is automatically loaded with US$27 for every family member each month. Photo: WFP/Dalia Khamissy

Ali Farhat fled the fighting in Edlib, Northern Syria almost a year ago with his wife and four children. He also takes care of his brother's family, who disappeared in Syria a few months ago. Photo: WFP/Dalia Khamissy

E-cards can be redeemed against a variety of items in local shops, allowing refugees the freedom to buy the food they need whenever they need. Photo: WFP/Dalia Khamissy

Unlike paper vouchers, the E-cards refugees are not obliged to spend the full amount at once, which means they can use it to buy fresh vegetables and fruits when needed. Photo: WFP/Dalia Khamissy

The E-card system in Lebanon combines MasterCard expertise in payment system with WFP's expertise in delivering food assistance. Photo: WFP/Dalia Khamissy

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“This is a real boon for Syrian refugees who have endured tremendous hardship over many months,” said Muhannad Hadi, WFP's Emergency Coordinator for the Syrian crisis. “The e-cards also bring business to local merchants, and they make WFP's operations more time and cost effective. This is a win for all of us.”

The e-cards reflect WFP's broader shift away from physical food deliveries to vouchers and other cutting-edge forms of assistance that can be more effective and have a larger impact. This year, WFP has injected roughly $192 million into the local economies of Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt through voucher programmes for refugees.

The Syria response is WFP's largest and most complex emergency operation. The agency needs $30 million each week to meet the needs of more than 4 million people affected by the conflict.