KAMPALA— The present conflict in the DRC Congo that has seen Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda send troops to flush out terrorist organizations harbouring in the vast forests of Eastern Congo has resulted in more refugees fleeing to Uganda in the quest to escape the violence.
The European commission’s civil protection and humanitarian aid operation (ECHO) has increased its aid support to the UN refugee agency.
According to an EU statement, the €1.5m will help assist over 60,000 Congolese get registration and reception services from the UNHCR. The aid will strategically target Congolese refugees in transit seeking relocation services until they are fully relocated to access protection and national services in Uganda.
Esther Anyakun Davinia the Minister of state for relief, disaster preparedness and refugees appreciated the continuous support being provided by the European Union to Uganda. Anyakun emphasized how Uganda is the largest refugee-hosting nation in Africa and requires more urgent international support in addition to being critically underfunded.
According to UNHCR, Uganda currently has 42 percent of its refugee budget funded but still needs $199m to execute its operations efficiently.
“We cannot thank the European union enough for this timely contribution to the emergency appeal. The contribution will save lives by addressing the critical needs of thousands of Congolese refugees fleeing war and violence in eastern DRC,” said Mathew Crentsil the UNHCR representative in Uganda.
The EU’s emergency support will also contribute to securing the new arrivals WASH (Water, sanitation and Hygiene) and health services in both the transit and reception centers and reception resettlements.
Of recent, it has been increasingly difficult for Uganda’s UNHCR operation to maintain operations for a growing number of new refugee arrivals for more than 1.4 million refugees in 13 hosting districts.
“The Uganda government has been very generous in hosting the largest refugee population in Africa,” said Bruno Rotival Head of ECHOs in Kampala, “with partners such as UNHCR, the EU is helping to address the needs of the refugees, when they come across the border and when they are resettled in the settlement sites such as access to water, protection services, primary health services and education.
From April 2021 to December 2022, ECHO provided €14.4m to UNHCR for refugees.
Uganda currently hosts 1,460,520 refugees mainly from the DRC and South Sudan.
92 percent of refugees live in 13 hosting districts in transit centers and settlements while eight percent dwell in urban centers. Based on the inflows 81 percent constitute of mainly women and children while 23 percent are youths.
According to the UNHCR statement, Uganda has continued to receive refugees from both the southwestern and northern borders. Records from as far as January 2022 indicate that 129,580 arrivals were made. From the DRC refugees coming to Uganda totaled up to 87,567 while those from South Sudan totaled up to 42,013.
The security situation in the DRC remains fragile with a likelihood that more refugees are expected to continue flowing into Uganda as the UPDF (Uganda Peoples Defence Forces) forges strategies on how to eliminate the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) that has become a thorn in the side.
Signe Winding Albjerg, the Danish Ambassador to Uganda, Rwanda , Burundi ,DRC, Madagascar and Mauritius welcomed the financial aid.
Source: Nam News Network