121 Platform Twopager
14 September 2026
When people are affected by a disaster, cash assistance gives them something that material assistance cannot: the ability to decide for themselves what they need most. But delivering cash at scale, safely and accountably, requires systems that work under pressure. Without the right tools, programmes slow down, data gets lost, and the people who need support wait longer than they should.
The Netherlands Red Cross offers the 121 Platform: a digital tool designed to make cash and voucher assistance easy, safe and fast for both the organizations delivering it and the people receiving it. The 121 Platform guides users through every stage of a cash programme, from registration and verification to payment and reporting, through a simple interface that does not require prior expertise in information management. Real-time dashboards give programme teams an overview of what is happening across the operation at any moment.
The 121 Platform is built with privacy by design and integrates with local financial service providers, including mobile money systems and banks, so that payments reach people through the channels that already exist in their context, all in one click. The 121 Platform automatically logs all changes, optimized for accountability and fraud prevention. It is currently in use in 16 countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa. Where the 121 Platform is not the right fit for a National Society’s context, support is available through Digital Cash and Voucher Assistance. For organizations building broader cash readiness, this connects to CVA Preparedness.
Support is available to any National Society, IFRC operation or other humanitarian organization, across the full spectrum of emergency and chronic crisis contexts.
How we work together
The process is designed to move quickly and keep the barrier to entry low. It can include:
- Conducting an initial assessment to determine whether the 121 Platform is a suitable fit for the National Society’s context and operational needs
- Setting up and configuring the 121 Platform, with training completed in less than a week
- Providing a free pilot for National Societies to test the 121 Platform before committing to full implementation
- Supporting integration with local financial service providers, including mobile money systems and bank transfer mechanisms
- Providing ongoing technical support and maintenance after handover
Local example
In Kenya, the Kenya Red Cross Society used the 121 Platform to deliver mobile money payments during the drought response, connecting registration directly to payment in a single system.
“With just a click, payments can be made directly through the 121 Platform, making it a seamless end-to-end solution from registration to payments.”
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