Introduction
Uganda hosts the largest refugee population in Africa and the 4th largest in the world. Nearly 60% of them are from South Sudan and over 30% from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uganda is continuously receiving new arrivals, with over 220,000 refugees arriving since January 2022.
While Uganda is praised for its open door policy, the large number of recent arrivals has put its progressive refugee policy under pressure. EU support is crucial to providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to refugees, as well as to host communities.
The country is also vulnerable to natural hazards and epidemics. We are supporting Uganda’s efforts to better anticipate and respond to these events.
What are the needs?
Inflation, the recovery following COVID-19, and reduced humanitarian funding have resulted in a deteriorating situation for refugees and host families.
The number of people struggling to find food has risen by nearly 15% in the past year. The overall situation is likely to deteriorate further, due to diminishing international funding. Consequently, people might resort to desperate measures, such as early marriage, child labour, and transactional sex.
Since January 2023, 95,000 people have been affected by floods, landslides, hailstorms and fires and over 7,600 have been displaced.
In the northeast Karamoja region, 45% of the population of 582,000 people face acute food insecurity, due primarily to climate shocks and hazards, including insufficient rain.
How are we helping?
Since 2017, the EU has supported humanitarian action in Uganda with more than €282 million.
In 2023, the EU allocated €35.3 million in humanitarian aid to Uganda. In addition to the initial allocation of €30.5 million, the EU mobilised almost €5 million more to (i) accelerate local action in humanitarian and health crises, and (ii) address food insecurity.
Last year, in addition to the initial allocation of €30 million, the EU mobilised almost €8 million more to address the refugee influx, food insecurity and epidemics.
Our humanitarian funding included:
- €500,000 for COVID-19 response
- €3.2 million for Ebola response
- €150,000 to response to floods
- €2.1 million to response to refugee influx
- €2 million to response to food insecurity and malnutrition in Karamoja
EU humanitarian funds help address the needs of over 1.5 million refugees, asylum seekers and host communities. It also focuses on:
- providing rapid and effective emergency assistance to recently arrived refugees
- improving access to basic services in refugee settlements
- anticipating and responding to disasters.
EU funding strongly contributes to addressing immediate basic needs. We help provide (i) protection and multi-purpose cash transfers, (ii) access to improved primary healthcare and nutrition, (iii) safe water and sanitation, (iv) education to refugees and their host communities, and (v) disaster preparedness and response.
Uganda has high numbers of refugees and host community out-of-school children.
EU humanitarian aid strongly contributes to ensuring access of overaged children, including adolescent mothers, to quality education services, enrolling them into accelerated education and protection programmes.
Depending on their needs, children and adolescents receive tailor-made assistance based on age, gender, and abilities. In 2023, the EU allocated €6.5 million to education.
During the 2022 Ebola outbreak, the EU supported Uganda’s preparedness and response by awareness-raising and hygiene promotion, alongside continued improvement of access to primary health care and nutrition services for refugees and their host communities.
The EU also contributes to strengthening capacities of local first responders and setting up early warning systems. This means establishing timely, effective, and local-driven anticipatory action and first emergency response in case of a disaster.
Following the torrential rains that caused devastating floods and landslides in the Elgon region last year, the EU mobilised €150,000 to support communities.
Beyond the provision of humanitarian aid, the EU helps increase the resilience and autonomy of the most vulnerable people, reducing their dependency on aid in the long term. This is particularly relevant in Uganda, where refugees can move freely, work, and start businesses.
EU development aid in Uganda complements humanitarian aid in areas with a high refugee population. It addresses the longer-term needs of refugees and their host communities, such as vocational training for young people and the reinforcement of livelihoods.
Last updated: 31/10/2023
Facts & figures
Hosts the largest refugee population in Africa.
More than 1.5 million refugees, including more than:
- 899,000 from South Sudan
- 501,000 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
- 52,000 from Somalia
- 41,000 from Burundi
- 34,000 from Eritrea
- 23,000 from Rwanda
- 9,000 from Ethiopia
- 8,000 from Sudan
- 1,000 from other countries
(UNHCR, 30 September 2023)
EU humanitarian funding:
€35.3 million in 2023
More than €282 million since 2017