Summary

• Sudan faces an urgent humanitarian crisis complicated by lack of connectivity and liquidity issues.
• AIDONIC’s e-voucher & vendor network enabled NRC to transition their Cash For Food (CFF) program, reaching 2,520 beneficiaries with over SDG 226 million in food assistance.
• The solution is reliable and effective in overcoming barriers to scaled-up cash-based aid delivery.

Context

Sudan faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with 1.7 million people at risk of famine and 12.4 million displaced, marking it as the world's largest internal displacement emergency. The situation is compounded by a lack of connectivity in rural areas and a national liquidity crisis that prevents multi-purpose cash assistance. These factors have left millions without access to essential resources, particularly in key regions like Khartoum, White Nile, Al Jazirah, and North Darfur States where aid delivery is severely hampered.

Solution Overview

In response to widespread telecommunications disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict, AIDONIC developed a local vendor network trained to use our innovative offline-capable e-voucher platform. The solution enabled households to redeem vouchers at local markets without requiring internet access, addressing a critical humanitarian challenge in the region.

From November to December 2024, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) partnered with AIDONIC to implement this solution in Kosti (White Nile), successfully reaching 2,520 participants with food assistance. The program's combination of offline functionality and secure transaction processing demonstrated how digital solutions can effectively deliver aid in challenging contexts, establishing a reliable method for supporting vulnerable populations despite significant operational constraints.

_{"AIDONIC's e-voucher project in Kosti was transformative. Their merchant app with offline functionality enabled seamless voucher redemption despite connectivity challenges. Plus, their hands-on support not only reduced our administrative burden but also streamlined our vendor payments, delivering exceptional resultsfor the people we serve. We look forward to future collaborations."
Mohammed Ezadin, LSF Coordinator, NRC Kosti Field Office}

Implementation

The widespread connectivity issues and liquidity crisis forced NRC to transition their Cash For Food program to a voucher-based system. Success required both a reliable vendor network and secure offline transaction capabilities to ensure program integrity.

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AIDONIC responded with three key innovations:

• Deployment of an offline-capable mobile application for merchant devices, with encrypted data storage for end-of-day synchronization at NRC offices.
• Strategic onboarding of local vendors to ensure broad geographical coverage for the convenience and safety of program participants.
• Implementation of a value-based voucher system with multiple denominations, enabling recipients to make flexible purchases across different vendors while preventing duplicate transactions.

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The system's automated reconciliation capabilities streamlined vendor payments while reducing administrative burden. By enabling prompt payments and providing detailed donor-compliant reporting, the solution built trust with local merchants while maintaining program transparency. This systematic approach enabled NRC to successfully transition to voucher-based assistance despite the challenging operational environment.

Conclusion

In Sudan's challenging humanitarian landscape, NRC’s successful implementation of AIDONIC’s e-voucher solution in Kosti demonstrates how innovative technology can overcome severe operational constraints. By combining offline functionality, automatic vendor payments, and robust reconciliation tools with a deep understanding of local markets, the platform enabled NRC to efficiently transition from cash assistance to a voucher-based program without service interruption.

For humanitarian organizations facing similar challenges, this case study offers a proven solution that ensures aid delivery remains possible even in disconnected environments. Organizations interested in maintaining their assistance to communities in need despite telecommunications and liquidity challenges are invited to explore how AIDONIC's adaptable digital infrastructure can support their operations.

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