Uganda needs more support for refugees - Kadaga

Aug 09, 2019

Currently, Uganda has the largest number of refugees in Africa and third in the world estimated at about 1.5million people by July last year.

PLENARY

KAMPALA-Parliament Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has lashed out at the international community and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) for failing to meet their part of the bargain to support Uganda's cause for hosting refugees.

Currently, Uganda has the largest number of refugees in Africa and third in the world estimated at about 1.5 million people by July last year, with most asylum seekers coming from conflict teetered DR Congo, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Rwanda.

Kadaga was particularly bitter that although several western countries during the 2017 refugee solidarity summit in Kampala, pledged to offer financial and moral support for Uganda to contain the refugee influx, many are yet to fulfill their promises.

The summit raised some $358m (over sh1trillion) in pledges out of the targeted $2b (sh7.3trillion) but the bulk was channeled through donors and international agencies.

However, the Office of the Prime Minister was hit with a scandal in the subsequent year when UNHCR called for re-verification of refugees following falsification of statistics, misuse of funds meant for the refugees by officials and suspected human trafficking.


Verification in Kampala reported 26,000 refugees had been receiving support but a fresh headcount showed only 7,000 people, raising suspicion of ghost refugees.

Addressing Parliament Speakers across the continent during their annual conference in Midrand, South Africa, Kadaga highlighted the need for more funding to maintain refugees arguing that their stay has immerse implications on host communities.

She re-echoed this message during a plenary session but added that Parliament needs to face the question of bad governance in Africa head-on because it is the leading cause of conflict resulting in refugees.

Uganda maintains an open refugee policy with refugees integrated in settlements where they hold land for farming, do business in and out of the host communities and reserve basic rights to health care and education.

In a recent report published by the Center for Policy Analysis examining the impact of refugee influx on service delivery, it was noted that the challenge has strained access to quality education, health and water and the environment with devastating effects especially due to deforestation.

However there have been recommendations that Government should expedite the process of considering a refugee policy, increase funding for refugee host communities to avert pressure exerted by influx, institute a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to track funding commitments and actual support, utilize the national contingency fund and modify the open door policy to match the demands of hosting the refugees.

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