Uganda struggles to feed more than 1.7 million refugees as international support dwindles

RWAMWANJA, Uganda -- For months, Agnes Bulaba, a Congolese refugee successful Uganda, has had to get by without nan nutrient rations she erstwhile depended on. Her children scavenge among section communities for immoderate they tin find to eat.

“As a female who’s not married, life is hard,” Bulaba told The Associated Press. Some locals “keep throwing stones astatine us, but we conscionable want to provender our kids and bargain them immoderate clothes,” said nan mother of six, who often useful arsenic a prostitute to fend for her family.

Uganda is location to much than 1.7 cardinal refugees, nan largest refugee-hosting state successful Africa, according to nan United Nations exile agency. Despite being renowned for welcoming those fleeing neighboring violence, Ugandan officials and humanitarians opportunity dwindling world support coupled pinch precocious numbers of refugees person put overmuch unit connected big communities.

Approximately 10,000 caller arrivals participate Uganda each month, according to U.N. figures. Some person precocious fled nan warfare successful Sudan, but astir are from neighboring South Sudan and Congo.

Bulaba is among tens of thousands successful Rwamwanja, a exile colony successful southwestern Uganda. As successful different settlements crossed nan eastbound African country, refugees location are fixed mini land of onshore to cultivate arsenic they are slow weaned disconnected full dependence connected humanitarian nutrient rations.

Since 2021, arsenic funding consistently declined, nan U.N.’s World Food Program has prioritized nan astir susceptible groups for nutrient assistance, successful nutrient items aliases cash, which tin beryllium arsenic small arsenic $3. After spending 3 months successful Uganda, refugees are eligible to get 60% rations, and nan number falls by half aft six months. Only caller arrivals get 100% nutrient assistance, leaving nan immense mostly of immoderate 99,000 refugees successful Bulaba's colony susceptible to hunger and different impoverishment.

In 2017, nan Ugandan authorities and nan U.N. held a acme successful Kampala, nan capital, and appealed for $8 billion to woody pinch nan crisp influx of refugees from South Sudan astatine nan time. Only $350 cardinal was pledged.

Filippo Grandi, nan United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, visited Uganda past week successful a travel partially aimed to underscore nan backing shortage.

The world organization “should not return Uganda’s generosity and nan world nationalist bully it provides for granted,” Grandi said successful a connection astatine nan extremity of his visit. “Services present are overstretched. Natural resources are limited, and financial support is not keeping gait pinch nan needs.”

He besides said world support "is urgently needed to prolong Uganda’s committedness to refugees,” urging donors and humanitarian partners to “come together pinch nan authorities to reside nan needs of refugees and nan generous communities hosting them.”

Refugees successful Uganda person entree to nan aforesaid hospitals arsenic locals, and their children tin be school. While this helps merge them into nan Ugandan community, sometimes nan competition for constricted resources sparks tension. However, violence is seldom reported.

Hillary Onek, nan Ugandan authorities curate successful complaint of refugees, said during Grandi’s sojourn that section officials request support to thief refugees go much self-reliant. Though he said nan state was “overloaded” pinch refugees, he cited respective training options to thief refugees go self-sufficient, including carpentry, bricklaying and metallic welding.

“We are trying to beryllium innovative,” he said. “Given nan truth that backing for exile programs dwindled complete nan years, location is not capable money to meet their demands, not moreover giving them capable nutrient to eat.”

Onek said nan replacement is “to past connected your own, utilizing your skills, utilizing immoderate capacity you have.”

But Bulaba, nan Congolese exile who has been successful Uganda since 2014 aft fleeing unit successful her location state pinch her 2 children, said she can't find a job. She has since had 4 different children who often spell barefoot and without due clothing. She misses nan cash-for-food stipend she utilized to get.

“For america to eat, we look for work, but there’s nary work,” she said.

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Associated Press writer Rodney Muhumuza successful Kampala, Uganda, contributed to this report.

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