The United States government has declared that it has given over $25 million, which is about Shs95 billion, in aid to Uganda for refugees and food security. This help is part of what the US government has promised to give. It is given through USAID, which is the foreign development agency, and the Department of State.
This aid is given to help refugees in Uganda who are facing problems with having enough food to eat and dealing with conflicts in the area, according to Jessica Jennings, who speaks for USAID. The money also goes to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Program (WFP) to assist refugees in the country.
USAID is giving $11 million to WFP, and the Department of State is providing over $14 million to UNHCR. These extra funds will help provide monthly food assistance, healthcare, education, and other emergency help to more than 1.6 million refugees in Uganda, Jennings said.
Uganda is the largest refugee-hosting nation in Africa, and in the past few months, it has seen an increase in refugees from neighboring countries that are affected by conflict. Last year, over 130,000 new refugees came to Uganda, mainly fleeing from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Sudan.
The United States is asking other countries to also increase their support to Uganda to help with these challenges. Jennings emphasized the importance of this extra funding in meeting urgent needs in Uganda and encouraged other donors to join in supporting WFP and UNHCR.
However, the US has expressed concerns about Uganda’s human rights situation, especially regarding the recent decision by the Uganda Constitutional Court to uphold most parts of the Anti-Homosexuality Act. The US insists that assistance should be given without discrimination and that Uganda’s government should protect the dignity of all people in the country.
The reduction in aid began with the COVID-19 pandemic and has been further affected by the war in Ukraine. According to Bruno Rotival, who leads Uganda’s operations at the European Commission’s humanitarian aid department, funding for refugees in Uganda has decreased. The European Union (EU) reduced its aid budget for Uganda in 2024 due to these challenges.
Rotival mentioned that Uganda was chosen by the EU to transition from humanitarian aid to development cooperation, but the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has made this transition more difficult. The EU had to cut its overall humanitarian budget by 20 percent, affecting aid to countries like Uganda.
