'Stop praising us, we need more funds to handle refugees'

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem, has called donors for more funding to support the ever-increasing number of refugees in the country.

Uganda hosts more than 1.6 million refugees in 13 districts. These are Adjuman, Isingiro, Kampala, Kamwenge, Kikuube, Kiryandongo, Kyegegwa, Koboko, Lamwo, Madi-Okollo, Obongi, Terego and Yumbe.

The refugee population continues to grow due to ongoing persecution, conflicts, and communal violence. Most refugees come from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia and over 15 other countries.

More than 300,000 people have crossed into Uganda seeking safety since 2022, including 35,000 arriving from Sudan.

The Government’s approach to refugee management allows refugees to live, work and access public services, like national citizens, something the minister says it puts pressure on public services, including health, education, water, and sanitation.

“Developing partners should stop praising Uganda that we have good policies on refugees, the trucks which take food to refugees in Northern Uganda have affected the roads and the environment, most schools in host communities are filled up with refugees, we need more money to handle both the refugees and host communities,” Oryem said.

Oryem made the remarks during the launch of the IOM Country Strategy for Uganda 2024-2028 yesterday (October 30) at Sheraton Hotel.

Oryem noted that donors should double or even triple the funds because Uganda has an obligation to support refugees in their country of asylum by facilitating access to quality education, healthcare and social services.

In her speech, read by Oryem, the Prime minister of Uganda, Robinah Nabbanja, said that meaningful strategic partnerships and collaborations are the only way to address the challenges and optimize the opportunities presented by migration.

It is now eight years since IOM formally joined the United Nations and became the UN Migration Agency.

In her speech, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Uganda, Susan Namondo, also urged stakeholders, especially the donors, to support IOM and the Government to deliver on the promise of migration, while protecting vulnerable people in and from Uganda.

“Migration should not be seen as a problem that has to be solved. Rather, migration is a reality that needs to be harnessed for better outcomes both for migrants and host communities. We all know that when resources are scarce, people often scramble and see enemies where there are none. It does not have to be like that. Indeed, for years, Uganda has been a model and shining light for how to receive and support foreigners be they refugees or migrants. All stakeholders need to pull together to maintain that reputation,” Namondo, said in a speech read by Sanusi Tejan Savage, the IOM Uganda Chief of Mission.

Basing on trends of migration in Uganda and the region, the IOM Country Strategy for Uganda translates IOM’s three strategic priorities of saving lives, finding solutions for displacement and regular path-ways into specific strategic outcomes for the next 4 years that are hey to achieve the vision of IOM Uganda to harness the promise of migration in and for Uganda.

In support of Uganda’s priority of furthering governance, peace and security and as the frequency and severity of conflicts, disasters and other crises across the region increase, in the new strategy, IOM will support the Government of Uganda, communities, migrants and partners to respond to the resulting humanitarian and displacement situations.

“In the context of escalating displacement due to conflict, disasters, political uncertainty from the neighboring countries, and the negative impacts of climate change, IOM commits to addressing Uganda’s national strategic imperatives relating to peace, governance and climate action,” Frantz Celestin, the IOM regional director for East, Horn, and Southern Africa, noted.

Celestine also noted that in the new strategy IOM is committed to collaborating closely with government, UNHCR, NGOs and other stakeholders to ensure a resettlement process for refugees and migrants that is safe, dignified and informed by a comprehensive humane and protection-focused strategy.