UN Secretary General to grace Kampala refugee summit

United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, will be in Kampala next week to jointly host with President Yoweri Museveni a conference to mobilize resources to address the increasing needs of refugees and the host communities in Uganda.

The United High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kampala has said Guterres is expected to arrive in Uganda early next week for a conference slated for June 22 and 23.

Uganda, which is currently hosting over 1.2 million refugees, hopes to raise $2b (sh7.1trillion) at the solidarity summit for refugees to provide services to the increasing number of exiles and the host communities.

Over 800,000 of the over 1.2 million refugees are South Sudanese who have fled the second phase of the armed conflict that broke out in July 2016.

The first phase of the armed conflict propagated along tribal lines broke out in December 2013 after the president of the world's youngest nation, Salva Kiir, sacked his deputy, Riek Marchar, and disolved cabinet in a power struggle, three years after the country attained independence from Sudan in 2011.

The conflict has denied the country a chance to enjoy the fruits of independence.

Uganda is hosting other refugees from DRC, Sudan and Burundi.

The surging refugee numbers in Uganda have placed strain on the scarce services, especially in West Nile, where majority of the South Sudan refugees are concentrated.

On average, according to UNHCR and Office of the Prime Minister, 2,000 refugees from South Sudan arrive in Uganda daily.