Uganda and the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and 68 humanitarian partners, have launched the Uganda Country Refugee Response Plan appeal (UCRRP) 2022-2025. The UCRRP is a framework aimed at responding to humanitarian challenges in a holistic, comprehensive, and integrated manner.
The Plan, which covers the period between 2022 to 2025, is meant to support the country in maintaining asylum space, providing lifesaving assistance, improving access to public services and strengthening peaceful co-existence and self-reliance of refugees and host communities.
Uganda continues to be Africa’s largest refugee-hosting country, with over 1.5 million refugees from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, and other countries. About 93 percent of refugees live in settlements located in 12 districts of Uganda and most of those in the urban areas live in Kampala district.
“Government of Uganda has continuously demonstrated its unwavering support for people who are fleeing from danger and looking for safety and security, “said Esther Anyakun, the Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees in the Office of the Prime Minister.
OPM and UNHCR coordinate all actors involved in refugee response in the country
She added, “Given the scale of the refugee presence in Uganda, urgent funding is required for the refugee response, to ensure that the women, men and children who have fled here continue to have access to protection services, and live saving assistance.”
Today’s humanitarian response plan appeals for USD 804 million for 2022, to address critical needs for protection, food, shelter, and essential household items.
“In addition to pressing humanitarian needs, refugees, their host communities and general population face exacerbated economic, environmental, and development challenges, that continue to require support in refugee hosting districts,” said Joel Boutroue, UNHCR Representative.
Funding will also support urgently needed healthcare supplies, water, sanitation, and hygiene services and contribute to promoting refugees’ socio-economic inclusion in Uganda, in line with Government’s commitments to achieving the goals of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and its Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF).
“Uganda has long been a global leader in its approach to peaceful co-existence and local settlement of refugees with the host communities. The Uganda model can only be sustained with funding proportionate to the scale of the refugee situation we face,” added Boutroue.
