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In 2016, there were around 500,000 refugees living in Uganda. By the end of 2017, there were close to 1.4 million, mostly from South Sudan, making Uganda the third largest refugee host country in the world.

Uganda is known for having a relatively generous and welcoming refugee policy. Most refugees are allowed to work and move freely within the country, and have access to free public health and education services. Many are given plots of land on which to cultivate crops and build themselves houses.

But the continued influx of refugees from neighboring countries is putting an increasing strain on Ugandan host communities, particularly in the north of the country close to the border with South Sudan, and leaving local government authorities and agencies struggling to cope to provide basic, essential services.

The World Bank is now increasing its support to assist the Ugandan government’s response to these challenges. Following a discussion with the Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, Uganda is eligible for receiving substantial additional financial support through a new and innovative financing sub-window under the 18th replenishment of the  International Development Association (IDA18), the Bank’s fund for the poorest countries. This financing sub-window has $2 billion available to help countries manage refugee influxes, targeting both refugees and host communities with longer-term solutions.

Uganda meets all the criteria to access financing through the sub-window, with its huge, total population of refugees and refugee policies that are considered to be among the most progressive and generous in the world. The country has integrated refugee management and protection into its national development agenda through its second National Development Plan (2016–20) and Settlement Transformation Agenda (STA). The STA aims to support development in refugee hosting districts of Uganda, through transformative investments in infrastructure, livelihoods, peaceful coexistence, and environmental protection initiatives.

Uganda is a pilot country for the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), an initiative called for in the UN resolution known as the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. The CRRF is expected to create a more coherent and robust response to refugee crises. through complementarity of programming and resourcing.

A key component of the CRRF is the Refugee and Host Population Empowerment (ReHoPE) strategic framework, supported by the World Bank, the UN Country Team and other humanitarian and development actors in Uganda. ReHoPE aims to bring partners together in a harmonized and cohesive manner under the government’s leadership to overcome fragmented programming and bridge the gap between humanitarian and development support.

The Bank is currently contributing financially to ReHoPE through the Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project, which includes a $50 million credit for Uganda aimed at improving access to basic social services, expanding economic opportunities, and enhancing environmental management for communities hosting refugees.

The additional IDA18 financing will allow the Bank significantly scale up its support to realize the government’s commitment to maintain a progressive approach to refugee management, as laid out during the Uganda Solidarity Summit on Refugees in June 2017.

The Bank will support the government through policy dialogue, investment financing and knowledge, focusing on (i) boosting resilience to refugee shocks, in part by supporting the integration of the refugee response in sectoral strategies and district development plans; (ii) enhancing self-reliance and long-term socio-economic development in areas that host refugees; and (iii) strengthening effective coordination of humanitarian aid and development assistance.

The current global refugee crisis is the biggest and most complex faced by this generation. It will take strong partnerships with humanitarian and other agencies—development, peacebuilding, civil society, and from the private sector– to drive sustainable solutions for both refugees and hosts.

In addition to Uganda, seven other countries—Cameroon, Chad, Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Niger, Pakistan—have been found eligible for assistance so far. Collectively, these countries host 4.1 million refugees, or 60% of the total number of refugees living in IDA countries.

With new financing under IDA18, the Bank will work with partners to support those most in need to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the Bank’s twin goals to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity.

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In Karamoja (Northern Uganda) much of the labor is sourced outside the district as employers experience a shortage of local skilled personnel. Nevertheless, Karamoja has untapped human potential in numerous sectors. The challenges in skill development include that Business, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) is not adapted to the demands of the local labor market, nor to the lifestyle of the local population: the Karamojong.

The Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC/ENABEL) support to Skilling Uganda project, with the support of Irish Aid, wants to raise the quality and quantity of skills development for over 2000 youths in Karamoja through short-term and flexible trainings. What makes the situation unique is that the Karamojong people have a pastoralist background. This means that they raise cattle and move their herds in search of fresh pastures and water. Due to population growth, some Karamojong lack the necessary cattle and need to learn other skills to have a source of income. Hence, the trainings will focus on traditional skills like livestock keeping (to prevent cattle diseases, improve animal nutrition, etc.) and crop production but also on innovative skills such as solar panel maintenance, mobile phone repair, solid waste treatment, etc.

Making skills development relevant

To make skills development useful for Karamoja’s local labor market, these trainings will be organized in collaboration with the private sector. Local employers will advise training providers on the labor market needs and let trainees gain practical experience through internships and apprenticeships. The focus lies with Karamoja’s emerging construction market and possible economic developments in the tourism industry (for example: marketing of the unique Karamojong traditions). The goal is to establish work-based learning and to let skills development respond to the needs of Karamoja’s labor market.

BTC’s approach

The BTC support to Skilling Uganda project will do this by launching a Skills Development Fund designed for Karamoja. It allows local training providers and private sector actors to jointly and in a flexible way, organize relevant and qualitative trainings. Secondly, the project will support two selected partner schools in the region: St-Daniel Comboni Polytechnic institute and Nakapiripirit Vocational Institute. These institutes have formulated their own business plans with goals for future sustainable development, and BTC will support them to reach these goals. The needs vary from school to school and can include teacher trainings, management support, infrastructural improvement, etc. The project will also provide a limited support to five other schools in the region.

The goal of BTC’s support to Skilling Uganda project in Karamoja is to allow the Ugandan government to mainstream the reform techniques, adapted to the unique context of the region.

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Rose Kide, 25, from South Sudan is among over 20 women lining up to have their children immunized at Yoyo Health Centre III in Yumbe District, West Nile. The women in the queue are South Sudanese and Ugandans.

Kide who crossed into Uganda in December 2016 has had all her four children immunized. Three children were immunized in South Sudan while her three months’ son, Joel, is receiving immunization in Uganda. Kide and her family are settled in Bidibidi refugee settlement.

Asked why she immunizes her children, Kide says, “I want to protect my children from diseases that can kill them. The health workers told us diseases like measles, polio, can kill our children if they are not immunized.”

She is grateful to the health education provided by the health workers at Yoyo Health Centre and village health teams who visit the settlement. Kide believes that the regular community outreaches and public education acts as reminders for parents to participate in immunization activities.

“We are always reminded to come to the health centre to immunize our children. The health workers tell us about the importance of immunization and the dangers of not immunizing the children,” Kide explains.

Yoyo health centre serves a population of 17,589 from host communities and 65,000 South Sudanese refugees. The centre operates 24 hours.

UNICEF is working with the government through the Ministry of Health and District local governments to support new refugee arrivals with life-saving multi-sector assistance services like immunization. UNICEF is also supporting routine immunization services for refugees and host communities using various strategies such as outreaches, static and mini campaigns to address inequities surrounding immunisation service delivery.

With funding from UKaid, Government of Japan, UNICEF’s support has resulted into high coverage for measles and polio vaccination among South Sudanese refugees and host communities. As of October 31, 2017, 166,770 children had been immunized against Polio and 355,104 against measles both in refugee and host communities.

Funds from UKaid for immunization activities are targeting 40,000 children (refugee and host communities) aged 6 months to 15 years vaccinated for measles and 22,500 children aged 0-59 months vaccinated for polio in the districts of Arua, Adjumani, Isingiro, Lamwo, Moyo, Kamwenge, Kiryandongo, Koboko and Yumbe through routine and planned immunization activities. The support from UKaid also includes procurement and distribution of vaccines to districts hosting refugees to support routine and scheduled Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs), support health workers in refugee settlements to conduct outreaches and support districts hosting refugees to conduct social mobilization/community dialogues.

Moses Adomate, an enrolled nurse at Yoyo Health Centre three says immunization services were extended to the settlements through community outreaches to ensure ‘all children are immunized’. “To bring services closer to the population, we mentored health workers working in the settlements and in communities to conduct monthly outreaches. Five outreaches are conducted in host communities while nine are in Bidibidi refugee settlement,” he explains.

In addition to the community outreaches, “temporary health centres” were established in the settlements and communities effective August 2017. “Catchment areas where children have missed immunization were identified and temporary centres created to serve them. We are using Village Health Teams(VHTs) and Local ouncils to mobilise the parents, caregivers and guardians to bring the children at these centres. What we do is to have like 3 villages served by one temporary centre,” Adomote explains after immunizing Kide’s son and other children.

Adomate says health education has helped to bridge the gap adding that, “the refugees used to fear immunization. Whenever we would go to the settlements, they would run away. The situation has now improved and the coverage has also improved.”

With funding from the Government of Japan, UNCEF is procuring additional vaccines to ensure zero stock out in health facilities in Arua, Adjumani, Moyo and Yumbe districts and support outreaches to improve immunization coverage. In addition, the funds are supporting training of health workers within the refugee settlements in Effective Vaccine Management (EVM).

Yumbe District Ag. District Health Officer Daisy Olodriyo says the health workers have undergone training with support from UNICEF which has strengthened delivery of health services including immunization. “The community is now more aware of our immunization services and as a result, our immunization indicators in the district have improved,” she says.

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The Office of the Prime Minister and UNHCR produce regular operational and funding updates on the refugee situation in the country. For more information please visit the Uganda Refugee Response Portal or the South Sudan Information Portal.

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved an equity investment of US $15 million in Catalyst Fund II, a second-generation private equity fund investing in mid-market companies in East Africa.

Building on its successful deployment of Catalyst Fund I, Catalyst Principal Partners, a prominent East African private equity fund, launched Catalyst Fund II with a target size of US $175 million in low-income countries, comprising four core East African countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda), together with Rwanda, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As the anchor investor in Catalyst Fund I, the Bank is considering an equity participation of 8.6% of the second Fund’s capitalization and an Advisory Committee seat to ensure that transparency, social, environmental and corporate governance best practices are adhered to both at the Fund and portfolio company level.

The Fund will invest in the mid-market segment across local consumer demand-driven sectors focusing mainly on priority consumer staples: financial services, industrials and healthcare. Catalyst fund will work with its investee companies to create up to 130 full-time jobs per year, ensure fair distribution of benefits across gender and age groups, and enhance the socio-economic welfare of communities.

Catalyst’s investment strategy is aligned with the Bank’s High 5 priorities: Feed Africa (through investments in food and beverage, and agro-processing companies), Industrialize Africa (through investments in manufacturing companies), Integrate Africa (through investments in businesses that cater to the East African regional economies), and Improve the quality of life of the people of Africa (through investments in hospital, clinics, pharmaceutical companies and the financial services sector).

The Fund’s strategy is also well aligned with the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy (2013-2022), focusing on regional integration and economic growth through industrialization, in order to achieve green growth and sustainable development in the Bank’s Regional Member Countries.

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The United States today demonstrated its ongoing commitment to improving the health of Ugandans by providing $18.7 million worth of life-saving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to fill gaps in the country’s public sector facilities and provide broader support to Uganda’s supply chain systems.

At a ceremony at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Ambassador Deborah Malac witnessed the signing of an implementation letter between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Global Fund, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, and the Ministry of Health.  Solidifying the partnership between the U.S. government and the Government of Uganda, the agreement noted that the Ugandan government and private sector will also contribute to Uganda’s supply chain funding, human resources, and infrastructure so that these lifesaving drugs will get to those who need them.  In addition, the implementation letter also engages the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Local Government, Kampala Capital City Authority, and Joint Medical Stores.

In addition to providing lifesaving ARVs to fill gaps in the public sector, all involved parties committed to address key policy issues to improve equity and efficiency in the supply chain, improve information management systems at the National Medical Stores, and incorporate the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria as a member of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force.

Over the past five years, the U.S. government has made major contributions to ensure that essential medicines and medical supplies are available in Uganda, particularly for HIV, malaria, and family planning, in both the private not-for-profit and the public sectors.  This $18.7 million commodities donation is part of the U.S. government’s $402 million dollar investment in Uganda through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) this fiscal year.

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On December 15, UN Women Uganda joined the rest of the world to celebrate the International rural women’s day with a call to financial institutions to establish financial products that suits rural women farmers to enable them to save, borrow and insure. This will boost their productivity as well as widen the economic opportunities available to them.

The Deputy Country Representative Ms. Anna Mutavati, noted that although women contribute significantly to the agricultural sector and rural development, lack of access to financial services remains a serious constraint to their empowerment.  Thus, making it essential to design appropriate financial products for women.

According to the World Bank, only 47 per cent of women worldwide have access to formal financial services, compared to 51 per cent of men. In Africa, this number increases to more than 70 per cent of women.

The event which took place in Gulu district, Northern Uganda saw thousands of rural women turning up for the celebrations.  The event was characterized by marching, music dance and drama, speeches and exhibitions by rural women farmers, market women and financial institutions that wanted to extend their products /services to the rural women.

Ms.  Mutavati noted that promoting access and the use of high quality financial services, particularly among poor people, is crucial in order to achieve inclusive growth.

“Women disproportionately face financial barriers that prevent them from participating in the economy and improving their lives. The case is worse in Gulu district, where women access to financial literacy services remain a challenge, “she said.

The Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Grace Kwiyucwiny attributed the stagnated poverty levels in Northern   Uganda to men and youths who have abandoned their responsibilities and spend most of their time idling on road sides leaving women to carry the family burden.

“Northern Uganda is still poor because we left responsibilities to the woman. Every other man is on the roadside, the youths are on the roadside. The woman is in the market, garden and in the hospital. How can you produce a lot when you are everywhere? “she asked.

Kwiyucwiny warned men against turning women into slaves.  “Let us be sympathetic to our mothers.  The woman is known to be the weaker sex but the weaker sex is carrying the burden of the family, the nation and everybody. We cannot leave our mothers to be slaves when we are young and stronger than them,” she noted.

The minister also urged banking institutions to make loans accessible by reducing the interest rates.

“I know you have been supporting women by training them and sensitizing them but it is not enough. We have a challenge of accessibility. The money reaching a woman is not enough, and the interest is too high. we really have to do something,” She explained

Betty Atoo, a vender from Gulu Main market shared her experience of how her business has been struggling to grow due to lack of financial training and business management skills. For close to 10 years, Atoo has been selling cereals in the market.  However, after going through financial literacy training by the UN Women Economic Empowerment programmed, she now manages her business well and can make rightful financial decisions.

The event was organized by UN Women in partnership with Landnet Uganda and Gulu District Local Government with funding for the Swedish Embassy.

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On December 12, 2017, the Government of Denmark and the United Nations Population Fund in Uganda signed a five-year agreement towards improving women and young people’s health. Denmark has committed
DKK 85 million, equivalent to approximately USD 13 million. The programme for ‘Women, Adolescents and Youth Rights and Empowerment’ will run from 2018 to 2022 targeting both refugees and Ugandans in selected refugee-hosting districts in Northern Uganda.

The interventions will include an integrated approach to gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence prevention and response, as well as socio-economic empowerment. It is expected that approximately 450 schools and 200 health facilities across the target districts and refugee settlements will benefit from the Danish funding. An estimated 600 health workers and 200 service providers addressing gender-based violence will also be supported with training on sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as prevention and response to gender-based violence.

According to the Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda is host to 1.4 million refugees as of November 2017, majority below the age of 17 and about one-third being females of reproductive age. In many of the refugee-hosting districts, the ratio of refugees to nationals has reached parity.

“Through this programme, we seek to strengthen the self-reliance of women and young people among both Ugandans and refugees. We know that if they live more healthy and productive lives, they will be able to contribute to their own development and to social change in their communities. Better health means more wealth: That is the idea we are trying to promote together with UNFPA and our Ugandan partners,” said the Ambassador of Denmark to Uganda, Mogens Pedersen.  The Government of Denmark is a strong supporter of UNFPA’s work across the world, and is among the top five contributors of core funds to the organization globally.

“Women and young people’s rights, empowerment and health must be at the center of all humanitarian and development efforts. They apply to all people at all times, and can be a catalyst to long-term sustainable development. This additional support from the Government of Denmark to Uganda will enable us to achieve even greater results to transform the lives of women and young people, both refugees and host communities in the districts targeted by the programme,” said the UNFPA Representative, Mr. Alain Sibenaler.

The agreement was signed by Mogens Pedersen, the Ambassador of Denmark to Uganda and Mr. Alain Sibenaler, UNFPA Representative.

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Ending child marriage today could generate $3 billion per year for Uganda by 2030, says a new report published by the World Bank. In contrast, the perpetuation of child marriage would lead to lower educational attainment for girls and their children, higher population growth, substantial health risks, higher intimate partner violence, and lower earnings for women, as well as higher poverty.

Titled “Accelerating Uganda’s Development: Ending Child Marriage, Educating Girls” the new Uganda Economic Update released today shows that notwithstanding a declining trend, one in three girls still marry before the age of 18 in Uganda, whether through formal or informal unions. Almost three in ten girls have their first child before the age of 18.  As a result, the completion rate for both lower and upper secondary school for Ugandan girls remains low.

“The cost of child marriages does not fall solely to the girls and their babies but constitute an enormous lost opportunity for Ugandan society and the Ugandan economy. Educating girls and ending child marriages must be a top priority for any aspiring middle income country. Inaction is really not an option,” said Christina Malmberg Calvo, World Bank Country Manager in Uganda.

The largest economic benefits from ending child marriage would result from a reduction in population growth and thereby higher standards of living and lower poverty. Those benefits grow over time, potentially reaching $2.4 billion by 2030. The second largest economic cost of child marriage is related to low educational attainment for girls, which in turn leads to lack of good jobs and low expected earnings in adulthood for women. Today, if women who had married as girls had been able to delay their marriage, their annual earnings could have been higher by an estimated at $500 million.

The risks of young children being stunted or dying by age five due to child marriage and teen pregnancies at a young age also have large economic costs. Ending child marriage would likely result to a reduction in intimate partner violence, as young wives are more prone to violence from their partners. Finally, by reducing population growth, ending child marriage would reduce the pressure that providing basic services puts on the national budget. The savings could be invested to improve the quality of public services.

The boost for Uganda’s economy that ending child marriage, preventing early childbearing, and investing in girls’ education would provide would be beneficial today given that the economy has been slowing down. At 4.5 percent per annum, the average rate of growth for the past five years is far lower than the rate of 7.0 percent or more achieved in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Government has continued to stimulate growth through increased public spending on infrastructure, and through policies to raise private sector credit to boost investments. However, the projected growth outcome of about 5-6 percent in the next three years will not be sufficient to increase Uganda’s per capita income to middle income status.

Among key recommendations, the economic update calls for greater investment in girls’ education, providing economic opportunities for girls who are out of school and cannot go back to school, and imparting adolescent girls with life skills and reproductive health knowledge.

The 10th Uganda Economic Update benefited from support from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the Global Partnership for Education. The report is one of several country studies prepared by the World Bank following up on a global study on the economic impacts of child marriage conducted in partnership with the International Center for Research on Women with additional funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

BLOG: A Smart Economic Investment – Ending Child Marriage of Girls

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On December 1, 2017, the Danish Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Mogens Pedersen, and the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Matia Kasaija, signed a five-year partnership agreement for 2018-2022. Denmark has committed DKK945 million ($150 million) in support of Uganda’s National Development Plan to the benefit of the Ugandan people. The partnership has three objectives:

1. Contribute to poverty reduction through inclusive and sustainable economic development;
2. Promote democracy, good governance and human rights, and
3. Support Uganda’s stabilizing role in the region.

Support will be provided through eight engagement partners, namely Inspectorate Of Government, Financial Management and Accountability Programme, Agricultural Business Initiative, TradeMark East Africa, Northern Uganda Resilience Initiative, Democratic Governance Facility – DGF, UNFPA Uganda and Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI).

Please visit the Embassy of Denmark’s webpage for more information.