US gives Uganda shs95 billion for refugees assistance

BY URN

The United States is allocating over 25 million dollars (approximately 95.3 billion shillings) in aid for refugees and food security in Uganda. This assistance, part of U.S. government commitments, is being distributed through USAID and the Department of State.

In addition to this aid, the U.S. is supporting the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Program (WFP) to assist refugees in Uganda who are experiencing food insecurity due to ongoing conflict in the region. USAID is providing 11 million dollars to WFP, while the Department of State is contributing more than 14 million dollars to UNHCR.

According to USAID Spokesperson Jessica Jennings, these funds will help provide essential food assistance, healthcare, education, and emergency relief to Uganda’s 1.6 million refugees, making it the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa.

Uganda has seen a recent surge in refugee arrivals, with more than 130,000 new refugees entering the country last year, primarily fleeing conflicts in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Sudan.

The U.S. encourages other nations to increase their support for humanitarian efforts in Uganda. Jennings emphasized the importance of this funding to address urgent needs in the region and urged other donors to join in supporting WFP and UNHCR.

However, some aid and credit packages to Uganda have been forfeited, and certain leaders have faced travel sanctions due to concerns over the country’s human rights record.

The U.S. emphasizes that assistance should be provided without discrimination and calls on Uganda’s government to uphold the dignity of all its people.

Due to various global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, there has been a redirection of resources, impacting humanitarian funding worldwide. This has led to a reduction in aid to Uganda, affecting its refugee support.

The European Union (EU) has also reduced its allocation for Uganda in 2024 due to budget constraints caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Despite Uganda’s relatively stable situation, it still faces challenges in humanitarian aid provision due to funding gaps in global crisis response efforts.