Insights from humanitarian experts: Visa speaks with Alyoscia D'Onofrio, International Rescue Committee

At the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks event in Geneva, organised by the United Nations, Visa presented the findings of a report, Reimagining Aid in a Digital Age, published alongside Devex, the humanitarian news agency.? ?

During the event, Visa had the opportunity to sit down with fellow attendees, panellists, and influential figures in the sector, to discuss their careers, challenges, goals, and aspirations for the sector.

This series of interviews is based on those conversations. Questions and answers have been paraphrased for brevity. The views expressed herein are those of the interviewee.

Q: Can you tell us about your background and how you got into the humanitarian space?

My earliest experience in humanitarian aid was the Bosnian War (1992-95). I was taken by the stories and images of ethnic cleansing, atrocities, mass displacement, and the return of internment camps to Europe, and so I volunteered delivering aid convoys, bringing food and clothes to people trapped in enclaves inside Bosnia. After the war I wanted to participate in the reconstruction of the country, and so I moved there in 1996 and after working with a few different agencies, I got a job with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in 1997.

I have been with the IRC for 27 years now. I have witnessed how the sector has changed and how aid delivery has evolved to become much more client-centred with aid delivery coming in many forms—from digital payments to social service delivery—in partnership with many public, private and civil society partners.?

Q: Please tell us more about how the sector has changed since your earlier days, and why engaging with different actors is central to the way humanitarian aid is delivered now.

Today there’s recognition of the fact that we’re here to serve people, and that people in need should have agency and can make their own decisions. The sector’s focus on empowering people and enabling self-determination has grown over the years.

The past feels a world away when you contrast it to some of the work we’re doing today –say, around blockchain, cash and voucher assistance, access to the internet in remote areas, and the digital delivery of an increasingly large array of services. With today’s growing humanitarian needs and the complex nature of aid delivery, it is more relevant than ever to engage with actors from across sectors to support our clients around the world. This includes financial service providers like Visa. Joint efforts like this are key to finding solutions that help people impacted by crises.

Q: Given that humanitarian aid is oftentimes set in extremely challenging conditions, how does the IRC use technology in crisis response?

Two of my favourite examples are initiatives that involve every day, accessible technology to deliver big outcomes. For instance, our Ahlan Simsim initiative with Sesame Workshop developed and implemented cost-effective, scalable and adaptable solutions that improve education outcomes for children in crisis-affected contexts.

One of the ways to reach children and caregivers remotely when in-person pre-school wasn’t possible was through mobile phones—using social media platforms and everyday messaging platforms. In Lebanon, Ahlan Simsim's 11-week remote pre-school program with educational media integrated into the curriculum produced statistically and developmentally significant impacts on children, particularly for literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills, comparable to a year of in-person pre-school programs. This solution supports children in crisis settings who cannot access in person education so that they are not left behind and can develop vital early childhood development skills.??

Another programme that comes to mind is Signpost, a community-led information service designed to reach our clients with verified, relevant and clear information. That information is distributed through social media and other digital channels.

We have implemented versions of Signpost across different crises and in 31 countries, using the platform’s chat and homepage to keep people on the move up-to-date on how and where to access information around life-saving services, and alerting them of potential dangers along the way – including scams and fraud.

So, while we’re running projects that involve things like blockchain and more advanced concepts, often you get the best bang for buck using what’s readily available.?

Q: How critical are partnerships with the private sector?

Partnering with the private sector is essential for implementing market-based approaches with sustainable potential. This is not just about signing a contract, but about having a clear common objective, as well as meaningful goals that deliver better outcomes for our clients.?

As an organization, we see enormous value in engaging with the private sector – including Financial Services providers – to support the development of products that help meet the needs of people impacted by crisis, and to do it through market-based solutions that respond to the private sector’s priorities.

The IRC is always excited about leveraging the expertise, resources, and influence of private sector actors, while advocating for the development of financial products tailored to the people most affected by a crisis. A meaningful partnership with the private sector is undoubtedly a win-win situation.?

Stay tuned for the next interview in our Digital aid dialogues by following Visa Government Solutions or reading our previous dialogue with Elisa Gabellieri, GiveDirectly.