The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has received a vital boost in its efforts to support refugees in Uganda with a generous contribution of $11 million from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
This additional funding, provided on behalf of the American people, brings USAID’s total support for refugees in Uganda to nearly $83 million since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2023.
The funding aims to provide life-saving unconditional monthly general food assistance to over 1.3 million refugees across 13 settlements in Uganda.
Abdirahman Meygag, WFP’s Country Director in Uganda, expressed gratitude for the contribution, stating, “This contribution is undoubtedly a relief for the most vulnerable households in the refugee settlements. We are grateful to the United States Government for supporting our efforts to provide food assistance to displaced families who have lost everything.”
Uganda has seen a significant influx of refugees, with close to 40,000 newly arrived refugees registered since the beginning of 2024, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Most of these refugees, including women, children, and older persons, hail from conflict-affected regions such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
In 2023 alone, 130,000 new refugees were registered, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Since 2014, the number of refugees in Uganda has quadrupled from 390,000 to 1.6 million, making it the country with the highest number of refugees in Africa.
Despite Uganda’s progressive asylum refugee support policy, refugees face limited livelihood opportunities, forcing them to rely on humanitarian assistance. The gap between the needs of refugees and funding availability has continued to widen, underscoring the urgency of international support.
Daniele Nyirandutiye, USAID Mission Director in Uganda, reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to supporting refugees in Uganda through emergency food assistance. Nyirandutiye stated, “As the largest humanitarian partner in Uganda, we are committed to supporting refugees in Uganda through emergency food assistance. As part of our response, we are pleased to partner with the World Food Programme to assist the Government of Uganda’s refugee response efforts and will continue to support both urgent relief and longer-term resilience-building efforts.”
In response to limited resources, WFP has prioritized the most vulnerable refugees for food assistance, with 1.3 million out of 1.6 million refugees in Uganda receiving monthly food and cash assistance. The U.S. remains the largest donor to WFP, with USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance contributing over $300 million from 2020 to 2023 to support refugees in Uganda.
Despite these efforts, WFP urgently requires an additional $110 million to sustain its emergency operations in Uganda until the end of the year. With ongoing support from donors like USAID, WFP continues to play a critical role in providing essential assistance to refugees in Uganda, ensuring they receive the support they need to survive and rebuild their lives amidst adversity.
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