As the number of refugees and asylum seekers entering Zambia continues to increase, the government and humanitarian-aid organizations involved strive to mobilize and deliver resources to help these people adjust to life in their new home.

In 2016, UNHCR partnered with UNCDF to explore the digitization of UNHCR cash-based intervention (CBI) programme. The international financial inclusion consulting firm MicroSave was contracted to design and pilot the CBI digitization in Meheba, one of the three settlements in Zambia (the other two are Mayukwayuka, established in 1966, and Mantapla, opened in January 2018). Using a human-centered design and behavioral economics approach, MicroSave conducted a research to understand the challenges refugees face with the current cash distribution process.

The research uncovered some interesting insights. Distributing substantial amounts of cash physically, and with a manual identification and reconciliation process, has negative consequences for refugees. They lose time and income as they are essentially forced to “follow the money” when and wherever it is being distributed.

Digitization has the potential to make UNHCR CBI programme predictable, reliable and efficient, not just for the refugees but for UNHCR and the government as implementing partner, in this case the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services.

Check out the research highlights to learn more about the findings of this research. In a subsequent brief, we will be sharing lessons learned from the implementation of the pilot, seeking answers to the question, “Is digitization of humanitarian assistance sustainable?”