The European Union has reaffirmed their commitment to continue to provide humanitarian assistance and development support.
The European Union has reaffirmed their commitment to continue to provide humanitarian assistance and development support to refugees and host communities in Uganda as part of the national refugee response.
Since 2016, the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations has supported the delivery of humanitarian assistance across sectors with €250 million, while the EU Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) in Uganda has committed €82 million to work with the Ugandan government in a number of sectors benefiting both refugees and host communities.
Speaking at during a conference to commemorate the World Refugee Day Photo Contest at Makerere University, the Head of the European Union Delegation in Uganda, Jan Sadek said the EU will never abandon the clarion call to support Uganda’s refugee response.
“The EU is proud to be one of the key partners of Uganda in supporting the national refugee response”. He continued by commending the Government of Uganda’s open door refugee policy, stating that it is “considered progressive globally, inspiring other countries around the world,” Sadek said.
“We have identified priority areas for EU funded interventions which include livelihoods and skills development, environmental protection and disaster risk reduction, governance and access to justice and protection. We applaud the government of Uganda for continuing to provide safe haven to displaced people. We intend to continue to provide funding through these priority areas to build resilience and transform the quality of lives of refugees and host communities.”
Uganda hosts over 1.5 million refugees, the largest refugee population in Africa and about 80% are women and children.
According to UNHCR data, as of September 2022, 96,000 refugees have fled conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan creating surging humanitarian needs for life-saving assistance and services.
Innocent Ndahirwe, Head of Refugee Integration and Legal Matters at the Department of Refugees in the Office of the Prime Minister said the country continues to receive refugees from South Sudan but also from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo who are fleeing fighting between M23 rebels and government forces of FADRC.
“With support from the European Union, we are able to provide better social services, support improved livelihoods for refugees and host communities and settle refugees. We are willing to continue to work with the European Union to strengthen the national refugee response,” Ndahirwe said.
The focus of initiatives funded by the European Union address a wide spectrum of issues including humanitarian aid and civil protection; water, hygiene and sanitation; cash and vouchers transfer; strengthening the capacity of local governments to contribute to improved service delivery; supporting income generating activities for refugees and host communities; increased environmental and natural resources protection by restoring and conserving degraded natural resources; and accelerating access to justice and protection for vulnerable groups.
During the event, the EU also welcomed ideas from the student body and the public to strengthen efforts geared towards the national refugee response.
“We appreciate the EU for championing the call for dialogue and collaboration to address societal issues and ensure good governance. This event has provided a platform to engage with students and enhance student learning by providing an educational experience that demonstrates how development cooperation works,” said Prof. Umar Kakumba, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs at Makerere University.
During the event, Sadek also recognized the efforts of partners implementing EU funded projects in refugee and host communities. GiZ, Lutheran World Federation, Netherlands Red Cross and World Vision were among those who received accolades for their role in promoting external visibility of EU funded initiatives.