The Norwegian government has extended Shs2.6b to Uganda towards the provision of meals for new refugee arrivals from the DR Congo and South Sudan.
While receiving the Norwegian donation, the World Food Programme (WFP) representative and country director, Mr Abdirahman Meygag, said the funding will feed more than 90,000 new refugee arrivals in 12 transit and reception centres as well as help in the resettlement of the registered refugees.
“As of October 27, 2022, a total of 119,727 new arrivals have been registered with 38,996 from South Sudan and 80,731 from DR Congo. The new influx adds to the existing caseload in the country and brings the total number of refugees living in Uganda to 1,480,767,” Mr Meygag said at the Norwegian Embassy in Kampala yesterday.
He added: “The influx is straining already stretched resources, making it challenging for us to continue giving life-saving food assistance and treating refugee women and children for malnutrition.”
Last year, many DR Congo and South Sudan nationals continued to flock to the Uganda border areas as they fled from complex, volatile and long-standing insecurity and conflicts in their respective countries.
Mr Meygag said more refugees are expected into the country this year.
While hand over the funds to WFP at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kampala yesterday, the business manager at the embassy, Mr Ole Reidar Bergum, said the support is in line with Norway’s focus on food security and the need to increase humanitarian funding in Uganda to match the increased arrivals of vulnerable refugees.
“We are happy to partner with the WFP to provide much-needed food assistance to refugees arriving from the DR Congo. This will enable the vulnerable refugees to have access to better meals,” Mr Bergum said.
According to WFP, at least Shs663b ($179m) is needed for the next six months to provide food rations at 100 percent to refugees in Uganda.
The most refugee host districts include Kisoro in Western Uganda and several districts of West Nile such as Adjumani, Yumbe, Terego, Kikuube, Yumbe and Koboko. The country hosts more than a million refugees.
Survey
The 2022 Food Security and Nutrition Assessment shows that 35 percent of refugee households have adopted negative strategies such as skipping meals and selling off assets.
Due to the ration cuts, they are receiving only a fraction of the required basic survival ration to live a normal and productive life.
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