The United Nations (UN) has contributed USD 6 million to respond to the growing influx of refugees fleeing into Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The funds were donated by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) through its Rapid Response window, to the UN county office in Uganda. CERF is the UN’s global emergency fund designed to deliver funding quickly to meet immediate humanitarian needs around the world.
This was announced by Mr. Mark Lowcock, the United Nations Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
“On behalf of the United Nations System in Uganda, I want to thank OCHA for this very timely contribution that will enable us to save lives, protect the most vulnerable and sustain the asylum environment among host communities,” the UN Resident Coordinator, Rosa Malango, said.
Since the start of 2018 more than 43,000 refugees have fled from DRC to Uganda, many making the dangerous journey across Lake Albert in unsafe boats and some have lost their lives in the process.
The UN financial contribution comes amid continued appeals by the UN Refugee Agency in Uganda for assistance in meeting the huge humanitarian needs for the Congolese refugees in Uganda.
The funds will be utilized by the different UN agencies working in Uganda including UNHCR which will receive USD 3.3 million for critical life-saving humanitarian assistance in protection, shelter, health, water and sanitation and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which will receive USD 1 million for its multi-sector response the escalated refugee influx.
World Food Programme (WFP) in Uganda will use USD 500,000 for food and nutrition support for refugees, while some USD 500,000 will go to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) for the provision of life saving sexual and reproductive health services including emergency obstetrical and new-born care and response to gender-based violence.
The UN Migration Agency (IOM) will receive USD 500,000 for emergency sanitation, hygiene and protection services while the World Health Organization (WHO) will receive USD 200,000 for emergency measures for communicable disease management and control among new refugees and their host communities.
According to a statement released by UN in Uganda, the humanitarian assistance to refugees will be delivered in partnership with local district governments and NGOs.
“The rapid response projects will be carried out within six months of this allocation after which a report on expenditures will be sent to the Emergency Relief Coordinator,” read the statement.
UN has given assurances that CERF has a robust monitoring and accountability framework thatapplies to all allocations.
According to the Inter-agency coordination group on refugees, comprised of the Uganda Government, UN agencies and NGOs, Uganda was expected to receive about 60,000 new refugees from DRC during 2018. However, only two months into 2018 more than 43,000 refugees have already arrived in Uganda from DRC.
Despite the latest financial boost, Malango say that refugee response in Uganda remains critically underfunded. WFP has a shortfall of US28 million for the six months for refugee operations in Uganda from February through July 2018.
“We want to thank national and international partners for their continued support to our efforts and request for additional resources to address the needs of the refugees and the communities hosting them in Uganda. By this we will ensure that we live up to the aspirations of Agenda 2030 of leaving no one behind,” Malango said.