Building Blocks

The responsible use of innovation and technology enables WFP to build pathways to peace, stability, and prosperity for those recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change. Blockchain technology is part of that solution. Building Blocks is designed to let people securely access assistance to meet their household essential needs according to their priorities. 

Food, nutrition, education, health and other requirements can only be meaningfully addressed by meeting a household’s range of essential needs at the same time. Building Blocks enables people to receive different types of assistance from multiple humanitarian organizations in one “go”, reducing the complexity of accessing humanitarian support. Concurrently, no sensitive information, such as names, dates of birth, or biometrics, are stored anywhere on Building Blocks. The system uses anonymous identifiers to ensure the privacy and security of people served.

Fundamentally, Building Blocks is a collection of blockchain nodes which are computer servers independently operated by each participating organization. Together, they connect to form a humanitarian blockchain network that provides a neutral space to collaborate, transact and securely share information in a real-time. The network is neutral without a hierarchy of ownership: all member organizations are 100 percent equal co-owners, co-operators, and co-governors of the network and all members play an equal role in its upkeep.

WFP has developed a robust application on the Building Blocks network that enables tracking, coordination, and delivery of multiple types of assistance, including cash, food, WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), medicine and more. The technical blockchain infrastructure to operate the network is based on an open-source software and is freely accessible to participating organizations. The applications deployed on the Building Blocks network are also available for free to the network members.

WFP is inviting other United Nations agencies and humanitarian actors to collaborate on a neutral blockchain network to improve cooperation, reduce fragmentation, bolster efficiency — and ultimately further empower the people we serve.

In responding to a crisis or emergency, multiple organizations are likely to assist the same people with food, health, shelter, protection programming, often using different systems and processes for program design and assistance allocation. Building Blocks opens an unprecedented opportunity to coordinate these efforts, improving efficiency and transparency of assistance.

Building Blocks was created to enable various organizations to connect, collaborate and run their global operations with the prime objective to improve the lives of the people served in constrained environments.

Through Building Blocks, multiple organizations can maintain up-to-date records of the services provided to people, helping to ensure that they are not duplicating efforts, wasting valuable resources, or excluding individuals from receiving assistance, ultimately delivering effective and well targeted support.