Aid cuts force Bidibidi refugees to embrace self-reliance

YUMBE - Leaders at Bidibidi refugee settlement in Yumbe district have adopted new strategies to help refugees cope with sharp reductions in humanitarian aid.

Godfrey Aviiri, the deputy settlement commandant at Bidibidi, said funding cuts have significantly affected support for refugees, prompting several humanitarian partners to pull out.

In response, settlement leaders have adopted a self-reliance approach, encouraging refugees to sustain themselves through skills training, small-scale businesses, and farming. Aviiri noted that refugees who are hardworking often fare better than some members of the host community.

According to the latest report, refugees now receive as little as sh18,000 per person per month for food, with some getting as low as sh10,000.



Bidibidi, established in 2016, is the second-largest refugee settlement in Africa, currently home to over 200,000 people, mainly from neighbouring South Sudan. Despite reaching full capacity, it continues to receive new arrivals fleeing conflict.

Hafizu Luwambo, the assistant settlement commandant, said the food crisis could be mitigated by allocating land within host communities to enable refugees to farm.



The settlement spans 250 square kilometres and is divided into five zones.