News

FAO has launched a mobile application to enable farmers, agricultural workers and other partners at the frontline of the fight against Fall Armyworm in Africa to identify, report the level of infestation, and map the spread of this destructive insect, as well as to describe its natural enemies and the measures that are most effective in managing it.

The Fall Armyworm Monitoring and Early Warning System (FAMEWS) mobile app provides valuable insights on how the insect changes over time and space to improve knowledge of its behaviour in Africa – in a new context – and guide best response.

Fall Armyworm has already infected millions of hectares of maize in Africa – a staple crop across the continent – threatening the food security of more than 300 million people, mainly small-holder farmers who are already struggling to make ends meet and have enough food for their families. By early 2018, only 10 (mostly in the north of the continent) out of the 54 African states and territories have not reported infestations by the fast-spreading, crop-munching pest

“The app will help us build our collective knowledge of Fall Armyworm in Africa, and connect all the dots – from how and where it spreads to what makes it weaker and less damaging,” said Keith Cressman, FAO Senior Agricultural Officer who led the development of the app together with the UN agency’s partners.

“The app is useful on two fronts: for farmers and agricultural workers in the direct management of their crops to prevent further infestations and reduce damage; and for all actors involved in managing Fall Armyworm in Africa, by providing vital analysis on risks, spread and management,” said Cressman.

Helping farmers take appropriate action

Once farmers and workers check their crops for infestations and upload the required data, the app calculates infestation levels so that farmers can take immediate actions to manage the situation.

The data is validated by national Fall Armyworm focal points and transferred to a global web-based platform. It is then analyzed to give a real-time situation overview with maps of Fall Armyworm infestations and the measures that were most effective in reducing its impact.

Initially implemented in Madagascar and Zambia, the app is now being rolled out across all countries in Sub-Saharan Africa affected by the invasive pest through the FAO-supported Farmer Field Schools (FFSs) as well as other community-based forums leading the fight against Fall Armyworm.

Updates to the app in the coming months will provide additional functionality such as an offline advisory system that provides immediate guidance to the user, based on the collected data, and a diagnostic tool that uses the camera of the mobile phone to determine Fall Armyworm damage levels to maize.

The app is an integral part of FAO’s sustainable management programme for Fall Armyworm in Africa. It supports all stages of Fall Armyworm management from early warning and monitoring to response and risk assessment.

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Investing in Greater Kampala will not only benefit residents, but the rest of Uganda, according to a World Bank report launched today. Titled From Regulators to Enablers: Role of City Governments in Economic Development of Greater Kampala, the report says that progress will depend on local city governments working together to jointly plan and implement policies, undertake infrastructure investments, and provide common services.

Like many other metropolitan cities, Kampala’s future depends on the prosperity of the secondary and tertiary towns around it – geographically known as the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA). Working together, these local governments, notably, Wakiso, Mukono and Mpigi district together with the Kampala Capital City Authority can mobilize capital to finance coordinated infrastructure investments across the GKMA for greater impact. It is critical that investments are prioritized through dialogue and consultation with the private sector and civil society to ensure they are feasible.

“Over two-thirds of Greater Kampala’s businesses are informal. Local governments need to enable small and micro-entrepreneurs to access affordable, well-located land and premises, and provide public transport to link people with jobs and enterprises with customers,” said Christina Malmberg Calvo, World Bank Country Manager in Uganda.

While Greater Kampala accounts for only about 10% of Uganda’s population, it generates a third of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs 46 percent of its formal workers. To underscore Greater Kampala’s multiplier effect for the rest of the country, economic modelling in this report shows that every dollar invested in food processing in the capital city results in an estimated increase in consumption of 0.58 cents for people within Greater Kampala, and 0.63 cents for people in the rest of the country.

“There is need for policy makers to take a long-term view of development of Greater Kampala–so that investments are structured to take into account the long-term development of the city. To do this, it is critical that the city governments that make up the GKMA work together to make the Greater Kampala a productive as well as liveable city,” said Sameh Wahba, World Bank Director, Urban and Territorial Development and Disaster Risk Management.

The report recommends:1) investing in transport and economic infrastructure, such as roads and markets, to improve access within the city and to markets; (2) land use management in partnership with large landowners to facilitate access to land for local enterprises; (3) partnering with the private sector to provide support services to local firms such as tax education and skills development; and 4) establishing a Greater Kampala Working Group to convene stakeholders and marshal political support.

The Government is currently finalizing preparation of an Economic and Development Strategy for the Greater Kampala under the leadership of the National Planning Authority. The report is supported by the Economic Performance of African Cities, a World Bank-DFID partnership that is supporting four African cities including Kampala City to improve data collection, analysis and application of research on urbanization.

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The European Union Delegation in Uganda, together with the European Union Member States represented in Uganda and the Embassy of Norway, invite nominations for the 2018 EU Human Rights Defenders (HRD) Award.

The award is presented annually, to raise awareness of the work of Human Rights Defenders in Uganda. The award recognizes and honors the achievements of an individual Human Rights Defender active in Uganda, who has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights in 2017.

Individuals or organizations can nominate candidates for the EU HRD Award.  Nominations from human rights organizations active in Uganda are particularly welcome.  Human Rights Defenders are people who promote and protect universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms.  These include civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights.  Human Rights Defenders also promote and protect the rights of members of minority groups. The broad range of activities carried out by Human Rights Defenders can include the following:

• documenting human rights violations;
• seeking remedies for victims of human rights violations through the provision of legal, psychological, medical or other support;
• combating the culture of impunity which can hide systematic and repeated breaches of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
• mainstreaming a human rights culture, and transmitting information about HRDs at the national, regional and international levels;
• advocacy for the respect of human rights.

Nominations should be sent by e-mail to: edith.okech@eeas.europa.eu.

Please fill in the nominations form, which should not exceed one page in length.

The deadline for nominations for the 2018 EU HRD Awards is 29^th March 2018.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony hosted by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium (Date and venue TBC).

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On February 20-21, 2018, the UNHCR Representative in Uganda, Bornwell Kantande, officials from Uganda’s Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) Secretariat, and the WFP Country Director in Uganda, Elkhidir Daloum, led a delegation of bilateral donors and the World Bank for a two-day visit to Kyaka II Refugee Settlement.

The visit, the first of its kind in the Uganda operation, was aimed at involving development partners in the early stages of emergency response, by giving them the opportunity to conduct joint, impartial and rapid assessments, and to prioritize assistance for refugees and hosting communities, as well as national and local authorities. Six partners participated in the mission, representing Belgium, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden and the World Bank.

Welcoming the delegation, the Chief Administrative Officer for Kyegegwa District, Vhiona Sanyu appealed that the ongoing influx should not result in the quality of social services in the district deteriorating. “We do not differentiate between local people and refugees,” she said. “The ongoing influx has stretched the available social services to the limits both for refugees and the surrounding host communities. There is an urgent need for water, education manpower, and healthcare facilities, medicines, schools and livelihoods interventions.”

This year more than 42,000 people have crossed Lake Albert, bringing the total number of Congolese refugees in Uganda to over 251,000. UNHCR, OPM and partners are relocating new arrivals from Kisoro, Mitondo and Sebagoro to Kyangwali and Kyaka II Refugee Settlements in Mid-West Uganda, as well as providing protection and life-saving assistance and services.

Talking to refugees in Kyaka II, the UNHCR Representative explained the CRRF as a holistic and inclusive approach to support refugees and host communities. To the visiting delegation he said, “Uganda needs political and financial support from the international community to help maintain its generous approach towards refugees,” adding that sustainable socio-economic development is imperative to address the needs of the refugees and host communities.

Gracia Shante, a woman refugee leader, lamented the lack of medical services, which forces patients, including small children to seek treatment elsewhere. “Medicines are not enough,” she said. “We need more drugs so we can receive better treatment for the many diseases refugees here suffer from.”

Kwisanga Mizerreo, a refugee welfare leader said Kyaka II is overwhelmed by the sheer number of refugees flocking into Uganda. Himself a Congolese in his mid-forties, Mizerreo has for the past two years helped members of his community to identify their needs and engage in productive trade in order to thrive. He is concerned about the fate of the thousands of refugees who have recently arrived on fishing boats with very little or nothing other than the clothes on their backs and the skills they acquired back in DR Congo.

“In DRC were had different sources of livelihood.” he said. “We have carpenters, tailors, boda-boda riders, barbers and even graduates among us. We need livelihoods support and opportunities to train our youth in vocational skills.”

Envoys from the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Uganda said that donors are engaging humanitarian and development actors to address some of issues raised by the refugees during their visit to the settlement.

With some 1.4 million refugees from more than five countries, Uganda is the largest refugee hosting country in Africa and among the top five globally. The country continues to receive more refugees and asylum seekers from countries in East Africa and the Great Lakes region daily.

“Uganda is a unique model for refugee reception. We have an opportunity to make sure this model works, and CRRF is our opportunity,” said Elkhidir Daloum, WFP Country Director, pointing out that unlike refugees who live in camps in other countries, refugees in Uganda will return home, not only with their humanity intact, but with the ability and skills to contribute to their own countries.

“I call on everyone working on the refugee response in Uganda to live up to the highest standards of accountability, demonstrate our core values and continue putting the people we serve at the centre of what we say and do,” Daloum added.

The Government of Uganda has undertaken several initiatives to strengthen the refugee-hosting environment in its five-year National Development Plan. The UN Country Team and the World Bank are supporting the Government of Uganda through the Refugee and Host Population Empowerment (ReHoPE) strategy, which is integrated into the UN Development Assistance Framework for Uganda. These strategic initiatives are aligned with the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) of the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants and require continued donor support.

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The global objective of this call is to ensure better outcomes for children by ensuring better implementation of the UN’s Guidelines for the alternative care of children in their entirety so that children enjoy equal chances to reach their full potential in societies.

The specific objective of this call for proposals is to provide quality care for children through the following priorities:

• Enabling governments to provide and take control of quality alternative care provision to children who are deprived of parental care, in line with UN’s Guidelines on alternative care of children and/or
• Regulating and monitoring the quality of the alternative care solutions provided to children who are deprived of parental care and/or
• Supporting the transition from institutional to community-based care and
• Preventing the unnecessary separation of children from their families.

Budget is EUR 13,000,000.

EU grants will be a minimum of 1,000,000 and maximum of 4,000,000.

Only CSoO are eligible as applicants and they must act with at least one public national or local authority as co-applicant or associate

This is a restricted call for proposals the first stage of which is the submission of a concept note through Prospect. Deadline for the submission of the concept note is 27/03/2018 at 16:00 (Brussels date and time).

All further information is found here.

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The Government of Uganda and its development partners today agreed on a set of comprehensive and time bound actions and methodology for delivery to address financial and protection-related risks in the refugee response. The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, reiterated the Government’s commitment to its open-door policy, while emphasizing zero-tolerance to corruption and fraud:

“The Government remains committed to fulfilling its international commitments and provide asylum space for our brothers and sisters fleeing conflict in neighboring countries. As we do so, we will continue to promote investments and socio-economic development in the districts hosting refugees. And let me be absolutely clear: We will not tolerate any form of misappropriation of funds or wrong-doings in the response. The investigations into the recent allegations will be swift, there will be legal consequences for those found guilty, and tight checks and balances will be put in place to ensure full accountability and transparency going forward.”, said the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister.

The meeting also discussed overall implementation performance across government and strategies for enhancing effective delivery of services to Ugandans. Whereas there has been some improvement in the delivery of public projects and programs, more needs to be done to deliver on the Government’s ambitious development agenda. Speaking on behalf of the Local Development Partners’ Group, the Head of DFID Uganda, Ms. Jennie Barugh, highlighted the importance of accountability:

“The Government has come a long way in putting in place good policies and ambitious legislation. It will require strong sustained commitment and clear accountability for delivery to translate this into improved public sector performance that delivers results. As development partners, we welcome the Government’s commitment to increase returns from public investments, and we remain committed to support the Government where we can. As development partners, we also welcome the Prime Minister’s statement promising swift investigations and legal consequences for those found guilty of wrong-doing in the refugee response. We are committed to working together to ensure our support benefits the vulnerable refugees and host communities it is intended to reach”, Ms. Barugh said.

The meeting reaffirmed the joint commitment to a set of concrete actions aimed at accelerating implementation of national projects and programs and improving delivery of social services to Ugandans. In particular, the forthcoming mid-term review of the second National Development Plan was highlighted as an opportunity to review priorities and strategies for accelerating inclusive growth and poverty reduction.

The National Partnership Forum was attended by Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State, Ambassadors and Heads of Mission representing bilateral and multilateral development partners as well as representatives from refugee hosting districts and civil society.

The opening remarks by the LDPG Chair can be accessed here.

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Power Africa, a U.S. Government-led initiative, today announced the launch of the Power Africa Uganda Electricity Supply Accelerator, an $11 million activity that will support the Government of Uganda’s electrification goals.  The Accelerator will facilitate the addition of 1,000 megawatts of generation capacity and 1,000,000 new electricity connections by 2020.  The Accelerator builds on existing Power Africa support to the Rural Electrification Agency and the Electricity Regulatory Authority for enhancing electricity access and  improving the regulatory framework for mini-grids.

The announcement occurred at the Uganda Solar Energy Association Expo at the Kampala Serena Hotel.  Senior officials from the Governments of Uganda and the United States as well as other Power Africa partners highlighted important developments in Uganda’s off-grid electrification efforts.  More than 40 local and international solar companies showcased solutions for lighting off-grid homes, businesses, and public buildings; irrigating farmland; and much more.

U.S. Ambassador Deborah R. Malac and UK High Commissioner Peter West also announced programs to support the continued growth of energy access in Uganda in order to increase economic opportunities for all Ugandans.  “Solar home systems can contribute greatly to national development,” said Ambassador Malac.  “With solar energy, we can power irrigation systems; we can store medicine in rural health centers; and we can improve the quality of education children receive.”

Energy Africa, a UK Government-led initiative, has been working closely with other development partners and the Government of Uganda to support the growth of the solar market by establishing a suitable enabling environment. During the Expo, UK’s Department for International Development announced the launch of a one-year project to build the capacity and independence of the Uganda Solar Energy Association (USEA).  The project, delivered through United Nations Capital Development Fund, will put in place an independent and ultimately self-financing USEA secretariat while incubating services for USEA members.

For additional information on Power Africa or its private and public sector partners, please visit the Power Africa website (www.usaid.gov/powerafrica) or email powerafrica@usaid.gov.

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Renewing a strong appeal to regional leaders to make peace, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has praised the “open border” policy of Uganda which is currently receiving up to 500 refugees a day.

Grandi who is currently on an official visit to the East African country, now providing sanctuary to a total of some 1.4 million refugees, upheld Uganda’s treatment of those fleeing wars and persecution as a model for the rest of the world.

“I want to thank the Ugandan government, local government and its people… despite recent influxes Uganda has the most progressive refugee policies in Africa, if not the world,” Grandi told journalists after touring this refugee settlement.

Imvepi and neighboring Rhino Camp, both located in Arua district, now provide some  245,000 mainly South Sudanese refugees with a temporary home.

“Almost 500 people a day come to Uganda…. All are allowed to come and receive protection, to mix freely, to work, to access basic services, the borders are open; its refugee policies are among the most progressive in the world,” he said.

Most of the refugees have fled the conflict in South Sudan north of Uganda, but a steady and growing number are also fleeing increasing insecurity in the Democratic Republic of Congo on its western border. Uganda also hosts around 50,000 refugees from Burundi.

Uganda now has the largest refugee population in Africa, more than half of whom are children. A quarter of all the people now living in Arua district are refugees while in neighboring Yumbe district half of the entire population is made up of refugees. This puts added strain on already stretched local resources.

Grandi highlighted that refugees in Uganda often received parcels of land to grow food, were allowed to work and access education, health and justice services, but he warned the generosity of host communities who are also facing development challenges could not be taken for granted.

“We should not overly test the patience of people… We have to make sure local communities also benefit from the refugee presence,” he said.

He explained UNHCR and the Ugandan government had adopted a comprehensive strategy which supported grass roots’ initiatives aimed at fostering harmonious relationships between nationals and refugees.

Under this policy facilities, such as health clinics and water wells, set up to support the refugee presence are available to local communities. Hosting refugees can be a “win-win” for local communities and refugees, Grandi explained after touring a new well which will provide water to everyone living in the immediate vicinity.

Later this week, UNHCR will be launching an appeal for fresh funding to support this “whole of society” approach, also known as the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, with increased infrastructure investment.

Grandi met with several refugees many of whom told him they would go home if there was peace and security, but at the moment that was not the case. “We are confused, there is no peace there. We will go home if there is peace,” Sarah Utua, 24, told him who walked six weeks to Uganda with elderly parents and two children to flee fighting near her home.

“These people all want to go home… I would once again appeal to the leadership in South Sudan ‘Please make peace’,” Grandi said.

The High Commissioner was moved by the story of a man his own age who told him he had been a refugee in Uganda four times in his life.

“I want to go back and make sure my bones end their days there. This is the fourth time I have been a refugee. Uganda has been good to me but I want to go back,” Lasuba Yousto, 60, said.

Grandi also met with Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda to whom he reiterated UNHCR’s thanks for his country’s approach to the refugee situation and pledged to maintain and improve cooperation with the authorities in all areas.

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Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) committed to supporting improved sanitation and hygiene in Uganda by launching a new $30.4 million activity called Uganda Sanitation for Health. This five-year initiative will introduce a series of water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions at the community and household levels, leading to increased household access to sanitation and water services; improved hygiene behaviors at home, school, and health facilities; and strengthened district water and sanitation governance for sustainable services.

A primary focus of this activity will be increasing access to improved sanitation in coordination with the Government of Uganda and other partners, particularly the Uganda Sanitation Fund.  USAID invests in activities that will have measurable impacts on Ugandans’ health, education, and nutritional conditions by improving sanitation and hygiene. This is done by promoting behavior change, increasing access to financial products and the private sector-led supply of sanitation products and services, and strengthening the environment to promote water and sanitation for all.

USAID’s Uganda Sanitation for Health activity is being implemented by Tetra Tech ARD, which leads a consortium with extensive experience implementing water, sanitation  and hygene projects in Uganda, Africa, and around the world.  The consortium includes SNV, FSG, BRAC, and Sanitation Solutions Group. This initiative is part of the U.S. government’s annual investment of approximately $500 million to improving Uganda’s health sector.

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On January 16, 2018, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), in partnership with Economic Policy Research Center and UNICEF Uganda, launched the online National Social Service Delivery Equity Atlas platform, which can be accessed through the MoFPED website.

The Atlas is part of the Rethinking Public Finance for Children: Monitoring for Results joint initiative. Leveraging on Government’s commitment to promote transparency and accountability in the use of public funds, this joint effort aims to monitor the effective delivery of national programs affecting children. Within the framework, the Atlas provides an intuitive approach to analyze the relationship between financial resources and sector outcomes. This new approach provides an interactive platform to analyze budget trends at regional and district levels with a focus on the impact of public investments on social outcomes like school completion, antenatal care or hand-washing. In doing so, it provides a clear blueprint of where public resources are reducing socio-economic inequalities among children and improving children’s lives, and where they are not.