By Kidega Livingstone
United States through its Aid Agency, United State Agency for International Development (USAID)] has provided 25 million dollars additional funding for refugees in Uganda.
Uganda is currently hosting 1.6 million refugees, with majority South Sudanese, who fled 2013 and 2016 conflict.
The funding that is meant for humanitarian assistance to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) is to fight the ongoing food insecurity and compounding impact of conflict in the region, a USAID official has said.
In a press statement seen by No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, USAID Spokesperson Jessica Jennings said USAID provided 11 million dollars to WFP, while the Department of States contributed 14 million dollars to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“This additional funding will be vital to meeting urgent needs in the country. We urge other donors to join us in stepping up to support WFP and UNHCR to assist the most vulnerable people affected by conflict and other crises throughout the region,” said Jessica in the statement shared Thursday.
She stressed that the additional contributions to WFP and UNHCR will support the provision of life-saving monthly food assistance, health care, education, and other emergency relief to the more than 1.6 million refugees that Uganda hosts.
“The United States is committed to ensuring our assistance is provided without discrimination, including in Uganda, where we have significant concerns about the impact of the Uganda Constitutional Court’s recent decision to uphold most aspects of the Anti-Homosexuality Act,” she noted.
Jessica emphasized that the Uganda Constitutional Court’s recent decision to uphold most aspects of the Anti-Homosexuality Act is dangerous and fails to protect LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning), and intersex) people and allies.
The United States demanded that Uganda’s government protect the dignity of all people in the country.
According to USAID, Uganda hosts the highest number of refugees of any African country and received more than 130,000 new refugees last year alone, primarily fleeing conflicts in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and Sudan.