Japan Announce Support Towards Refugees and Host Communities in Uganda
The Government of Japan has announced a US$1.5m contribution to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Uganda’s refugee support programme.
The announcement was made by H.E. Kazuaki Kameda, the Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Uganda, during a press conference to announce the new funding to UNDP and three other UN agencies including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), World Food Programme (WFP), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“Uganda has been spearheading an exemplary refugee assistance model despite being constantly challenged by large influxes of refugees from neighbouring countries. With the new funding, Japan continues to support refugees and their host communities,” H.E Ambassador Kameda said during the press conference.
In total, the Government of Japan is providing US$ 6 million to the four agencies for a period of one year running from March 2018 to March 2019.
“I would like to thank the Government of Japan for consistently providing much needed assistance to refugees as well as their host communities and bringing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to life, ” Ms. Rosa Malango, the UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator said at the press conference, adding that the new funding will be used to bolster the efforts that began with the previous year’s funding which enabled the UN in partnership with Government and various other entities to provide services in public health, water and sanitation, life-saving food support, livelihood support and create emergency employment for refugees and host communities.
She added that with the support, UNDP will be able to create emergency employment for refugees and hosting communities through cash for work interventions; provide business skills training and start up grants for microenterprise development; and support access to markets for small enterprises, focusing on women and youth.
The funding to UNDP is expected to benefit over 6,000 refugees and host communities, besides local government structures, in Arua, Yumbe and Moyo districts. It will build on UNDP’s preceding partnership with the Government of Japan in 2016 and 2017, it aims at further strengthening the humanitarian-development nexus in responding to the refugee crisis in West Nile.
“When we support refugees with services such as education, health & provide them with practical skills which they can use when they go back home, it enables them to support their nations growth and peace efforts when they are finally able to return home,” Hon. Hillary Onek, the Minister of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Refugees said while speaking at the press conference.
He also commended the Government of Japan for their support and called on all the agencies including UNDP who had received funding to ensure that they include the locals in their planning for the refugees and their host district. “This will encourage the locals to continue hosting our brothers and sisters who are here from our neighbouring countries.”
Uganda is currently hosting 1.4 million refugees and asylum seekers from South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. The assistance is part of implementation of the Refugee and Host Population Empowerment (ReHoPE) strategy, a transformative strategy which brings together a wide range of partners including the Government of Uganda, UN agencies, World Bank, development partners and the private sector to enhance self-reliance and resilience of refugees and host communities in Uganda. ReHoPE is a component of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework and is in line with the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants.