From Food to Cash: UN Partners with Fawry to Activate Digital Cash Aid for Communities across Egypt

Fawry, Egypt’s leading financial service provider, and The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have announced the renewal of their partnership agreement, solidifying their commitment to utilizing cutting-edge and secure financial service platforms for delivering WFP cash assistance across Egypt. The partnership between Fawry and The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) aims to utilize secure financial service platforms to deliver cash assistance across Egypt. The partnership has been ongoing since 2016 and has played a crucial role in enabling WFP to provide support to communities and individuals in accessing cash assistance through SMS vouchers or cash cards. These cash aids can be redeemed at over 310,000 points of sale throughout Egypt’s governorates.

Cash assistance is particularly significant during times of sudden emergencies as it allows WFP to swiftly transition from food distribution to cash aid. The secure and efficient rapid delivery service provided by Fawry empowers WFP to deliver cash assistance promptly and securely, allowing individuals to meet their basic needs and exercise freedom of choice in accessing essential goods and services. This capability was demonstrated in the recent Sudanese crisis, where WFP was the first UN agency on the ground, providing cash assistance to vulnerable people who had to flee Sudan.

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The partnership has expanded to function as a unified multi-purpose cash assistance service available to all UN agencies. This expansion allows other agencies to leverage the secure and rapid delivery system provided by WFP and Fawry, enabling them to promptly and securely deliver essential aid to people in need. By reducing transaction costs, this expansion benefits not only the vulnerable population but also local communities and markets, creating a positive ripple effect.

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Image Supplied.

The WFP-Fawry cash delivery platform has been established over the course of six years, during which thousands of vulnerable individuals have been served under various WFP programs. The partnership now has the potential to reach new heights and relieve the burden on vulnerable populations, ushering in a new era of aid delivery.

Both WFP and Fawry express their enthusiasm for the growth of the partnership. Praveen Agrawal, the WFP Representative and Country Director in Egypt, emphasizes the immediate benefits, enhanced support through technology, and the ability to reach the vulnerable population efficiently. Hossam Ezz, Chief Commercial Officer of Fawry, affirms their commitment to supporting the program’s activities and working together to achieve shared goals in Egypt. Ahmed Fahmy, Commercial Director at Fawry, highlights the company’s aim to use digital transformation and financial technology to serve WFP projects in Egypt, contributing to international efforts to combat hunger and achieve positive change.

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Overall, the partnership between WFP and Fawry showcases the power of collaboration, technology, and social responsibility in addressing humanitarian challenges. By leveraging innovative financial platforms and digital solutions, they are delivering timely and effective cash assistance to those in need, ultimately transforming lives and fostering lasting positive change. This partnership serves as an example for other international organizations, demonstrating the potential of technology, innovation, and corporate social responsibility to combat hunger and improve the lives of vulnerable populations.

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Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. 
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard