Leiden University Student Repository

Vrij, Anna de (2018)

Blockchain in Humanitarian Aid: A Way out of Poverty and Famine?

Master thesis | International Relations (MA)

This thesis goes into blockchain technology as a possible solution to the lack of effectiveness in contemporary humanitarian aid delivery. The literature review lays out the contemporary humanitarian aid supply chain and the bottlenecks that hold back the effectiveness. The supply chain is divided into three separate chains and problems inherent to that specific chain are analyzed. Blockchain and its potential for the humanitarian aid industry is outlined and applied to the within- case study of the use of blockchain technology by the United Nations World Food Programme. The case study analyses the solution that blockchain has to offer to the bottlenecks in practice. This thesis concludes with stating that blockchain has the potential to increase effectiveness in certain parts of the contemporary humanitarian supply chain.

Blockchain

Humanitarian aid

Supply chain

Supply chain management

World Food Programme

Author

Vrij, Anna de

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

International Studies

Supervisors

Skepanovic, Vera

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en