Minister of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hillary Onek. Photo/File

REFUGEES 

KAMPALA - Five UN agencies in Uganda have received a US$ 7.5m(sh28b) contribution from the Japanese government to support refugees and host communities for one year, from March 2019 to March 2020.

According to a press release from United Nations, the agencies include the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Office for Project Service (UNOPS).

The official announcement was made by Japan’s Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Kazuaki Kameda in the presence of the Minister of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hillary Onek, during a press conference held at the Uganda Media Center in Kampala.

Speaking at the conference, Onek commended the Japanese government for the contribution.

“The Government of Uganda is proud to be associated with the Government of Japan. We are appreciative of the Partnership and support that the Government of Japan continues to extend to the Republic of Uganda in terms of Humanitarian Support, Development Assistance and Technical support,” Onek said.

Kameda noted that Japan acknowledged the plight of Uganda’s local communities hosting refugees.

“While recognizing the serious impact of displacement on vulnerable groups such as women and children, the Government of Japan has been extending financial support to address the humanitarian crisis, having consistently paid close attention to the plight of Uganda’s local communities hosting refugees, most of which already lag behind the rest of the country in economic and social development,” Kameda said.

The ambassador further announced an additional US$2.8million contribution by the Japanese government for the activities of a number of Japanese NGOs which have a presence in Uganda more than two years, to actively deal with protection issues for refugee children and other vulnerable people.

According to the press release, the assistance will be provided as part of implementation of the Refugee and Host Population Empowerment (ReHoPE) strategy, a transformative strategy which brings together a wide range of partners including the Government of Uganda, UN agencies, World Bank, development partners and the private sector to enhance self-reliance and resilience of refugees and host communities in Uganda.

“ReHoPE is an integral component of the ComprehensiveRefugee Response Framework (CRRF) and is in line with the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants,” reads the press release.

Uganda is the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa with more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum- seekers. Majority of the refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda originate from South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.