By Kei Emmanuel Duku
South Sudanese refugees in Uganda have tragically exceeded one million, according to the latest statistics.
The data released by the Office of the Prime Minister and the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Uganda, reveals that population of 1,000,980 South Sudanese refugees.
Out of the total from various countries, two-thirds originate from.
South Sudan contributes two-thirds, the largest refugee group, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), of 1,890,334 refugees in Uganda.
Meanwhile, figures by countries of origin indicate 1,001,045 South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, though the officially verified number stands at 1,000,980, the DRC has 616,437, and 15,349 from Ethiopia.
Furthermore, 22,199 and 5,719 civilians from Eritrea and the DRC, respectively, have settled in Uganda as asylum-seekers.
An estimated 430,000 refugee’s hail from the Greater Equatoria Region, while approximately 140,000 and 150,000 are from Upper Nile and Bahr el Ghazal, respectively, collectively forming the 1,000,980 South Sudanese who have sought refuge in Uganda.
Nationwide, about 92% of the 1,890,334 registered refugees have settled in designated refugee settlements, while the remaining 8% are distributed across urban areas in Uganda.
The majority of South Sudanese refugees have settled in the Northern Districts, including Adjumani (230,683), Rhino Camp (207,136), Palorinya (140,567), and Palabek (91,409). In Central Uganda, approximately 257,046 refugees from the DRC and Rwanda have settled in Nakivale and other districts.
Women and children constitute the vast majority of the refugee population, accounting for 78% (1,471,138) of the total registered individuals. This includes 52% (991,342) under the age of five and 51% (967,558) females. The elderly make up 3% (53,211) of the population.
Individually, there are 1,852,002 refugees and asylum-seekers, with an additional 38,332 individuals seeking asylum in Uganda, totaling 1,890,334 registered refugees.
At the household level, 506,562 households are registered in Uganda, with 480,034 being refugee households and approximately 26,529 being asylum-seeker households.
Since the beginning of the year, 86,735 individuals seeking asylum have been registered in Uganda, including 50,892 from the DRC, 21,337 from South Sudan, and 12,497 from Sudan. Additionally, 9,045 new births were registered among the refugee population during this period.
Overall, the refugee population in Uganda has increased by 32,274 individuals (1.7%) since last month.
The conflict in Sudan, which began in mid-April 2023, has led to the registration of 74,462 Sudanese fleeing the violence in Uganda. Similarly, the ongoing situation in the DRC has resulted in increased arrivals, with the registered DR Congolese population now at 616,437, an increase of 54,544 since the end of 2024.
As of April 30, 2025, new arrivals from various countries into Uganda increased from 26,849 to 30,539 individuals (12,894 to 17,196 households), reflecting a monthly arrival of 3,690 individuals (4,302 households).
While the Office of the Prime Minister and UNHCR did not explicitly state the reasons for the significant increase in South Sudanese and Congolese refugees in Uganda, it is likely linked to the recent waves of conflict affecting South Sudan, Sudan, and the DRC.