Principles for Digital Payments in Humanitarian Response

Cash transfers in humanitarian response can be leveraged to prioritize emergency needs first and, at the same time, build a bridge towards sustainable development goals including economic, social, and financial inclusion. When cash is transferred through digital payment mechanisms — one of many options available for delivery of cash in humanitarian assistance – this potentially provides an opportunity to offer recipients a basic transaction account that can be leveraged in the future for more robust financial inclusion. At the same time, a principled approach is required in order to ensure effective, fair, and durable use of digital payments as a transfer mechanism.

This document outlines 8 principles for digital payments in humanitarian response which have been agreed by many organisations working in the humanitarian sphere.