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ISINGIRO - The World Food Programme (WFP) has appealed to donors, governments and all charity organisations across the globe to support them.

The entity wants its budget funded to enable it to respond to the emergencies, food needs as well and livelihood needs of the refugees hosted in Uganda.

The call was made by WFP Programme Associate Santo Asiimwe while speaking to journalists in Nakivale Refugee Settlement Camp in Isingiro district. He told journalists that the kind of support they expect is financial resources up to the tune of about $79 million (about shillings 298 billion).

He said that currently they are funded up to 31% and expressed concern about the huge resource gap between 31% of the $79 million required to save the lives of refugees who are in a crisis. 

Asiimwe predicted a catastrophe in Ugandan refugee settlements if immediate resources don’t come through to save the situation currently faced in refugee settlements.

“The needs of these refugees are many and these needs are further compounded by the worsening climate every other time. If no urgent action is taken today, we are going to see millions of refugees including their host starving to death. The current level of funding is very low: We need more funding if we must address both immediate emergencies as well as livelihood for refugees in Nakivale and the whole country,” he said.

According to Asiimwe, the $79 million is what they need by February 2024.

He said that Isingiro, which hosts the biggest number of refugees, is faced with the challenge of climate change, which acording to him greatly affects refugees who beyond the support also survive on agriculture and land-based livelihoods which entirely depend on rains.

“Whereas in other districts they have already planted and are weeding, in Isingiro, they are approaching October and there are no rains. If the resources don’t come in timely, as we want them that certainly means a huge crisis and we are yet to see refugees starving,” Asiimwe added.

1.5 million refugees

Uganda hosts in total 1.5 million refugees, and those that directly get support from WFP total up to 1.4 million. Isingiro hosts a total of 184,704, of which 176,720 are hosted at Nakivale, while 7,984 are hosted in Oruchinga.

Recently, Isingiro leaders appealed for funding to support them in restoring natural resources and fighting degradation which they believe is the leading cause of long dry spells.

Isingiro is one of the districts in Uganda that is water-stressed and prone to long dry spells.

District chairperson Alone Turahi and district environment officer Onesmus Oreeba said drought is not only affecting the host communities, but refugees are also affected.

Asiimwe said they have already embarked on implementing a project of greening the hills of Isingiro, but said the intervention requires a lot of effort, especially the pollical will.

Asiimwe appealed to the forthcoming Geneva Convention to prioritize supporting Uganda’s effort to address humanitarian needs. According to Asiimwe, the Geneva Convention is expected to take place in December this year. 

The Geneva Convention is a formation that brings all the global actors across the world concerned about the management of humanitarians across the world.