The government of Japan has given the refugee response program in Uganda a boost through a financial donation of USD 6 million (Shs 22 billion) given to UN agencies. The funds given to four agencies will support programs aimed at benefitting not only refugees but the host communities as well.
The financial contribution was announced on Tuesday by the Japanese Ambassador in Uganda, H.E Kazuaki Kameda at a joint press conference with the UN Resident Coordinator in Uganda, Rosa Malango and Minister of Relief and Disaster Preparedness, Hillary Onek.
The funds will support activities ran by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), World Food Program (WFP) and Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
Of the Shs 22 billion, UNHCR will use a total of Shs 11 billion to provide services in public health, protection from crime, child protection, prevention of gender based violence, improvement of refugee reception conditions and self reliance livelihood activities. These programs will benefit at least 2.1 million people, both refugees and Ugandans in refugee host communities in South West and West Nile.
A sum of Shs 5.5 billion will help UNDP programs aimed at providing business skills training, start-up grants for micro enterprises, supporting SMEs access markets with focus on youth and women.
Malango said these programs will benefit over 6,000 refugees and locals in the districts of Yumbe, Arua and Moyo.
The World Food Program has been allocated Shs 3.6 billion to assist refugees in Uganda with food and livelihood support. In addition, refugees will provide food storage equipment to reduce post harvest losses and boost food security. Up to 333,000 refugees will benefit.
The remaining Shs 1.84 billion will support FAO programs in agricultural related initiatives including the provision of fast-maturing fish, high value crops and improved irrigation systems. This project will benefit 290 host community households and 590 refugee households in Yumbe and Moyo where South Sudanese refugees are dominant.
Japanese Ambassador, Kameda said the donation is yet another contribution from Japan to Uganda for its exemplary refugee assistance model and its open door policy.
“The projects supported by the newly announced contribution to the four UN agencies will be implemented between this month and March 2019 to address the issues of continuous influx of refugees and the ever increasing needs of refugees and host communities,” he said.
“Japan as a member of the international community would like to share part of this burden,” he added.
He however cautioned against the mismanagement of these funds, emphasizing accountability and transparency. He asked that effective measures be put in place to ensure effective utilization for the activities the funds re meant for.
The UN Resident Coordinator, Rosa Malango expressed gratitude to the government of Japan which she said has been a leading actor in international development. He said Japan is the first country to fund two UN humanitarian agencies and two UN development agencies.
In April last year, Japan contributed Shs 23.2 billion to UNHCR, WFP and UNDP for refugee programs in Uganda. Later in June 2017, during the Refugee Solidarity Summit hosted in Uganda, Japan again pledged Shs 36 billion which was released to three UN agencies for urgent assistance programs.
In his remarks, Minister Hillary Onek thanked Japan for the contribution which he said was critical especially at a time when Uganda is continuously overwhelmed by the influx of refugees from DR Congo. Onek urged the United Nations to do more in dealing with the issues of political instability that have resulted in the refugee problem in Uganda’s neighboring countries.
Uganda currently hosts about 1.45 million refugees, majority (over 1 million) of them from South Sudan. Other refugees are from DRC, Rwanda, Somalia and Burundi.
