P. Sarojini
Uganda (CWBN)_ More than 1 million refugees residing in Uganda are likely to encounter decreased food rations as the UN World Food Programme is cutting its aid program due to the absence of foreign funding to the UN WFP. On Tuesday, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) cautioned that due to a scarcity in foreign aid, the organization is forced to minimize the monthly relief cash and food rations for refugees in Uganda, who amount to around 1.26 million.
Compared to other African countries, Uganda serves as a home to the highest number of refugees. The country hosts thousands of refugees who have escaped from wars and clashes in the Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Burundi. The WFP, the largest humanitarian relief agency in the world and the recipient of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, has, however, received just half of the funds it needs to help them.
According to the WFP spokesperson Tomson Phiri, the organization required another $95.8 million (€78.7 million) urgently to prevent cutting caloric intake and other assistance from refugees. In case the WFP is compelled to implement this measure, this will be the second cut in Uganda after April. A recent food assessment study says that the decreased rations along with effects of the ongoing lockdown are the major reasons for hunger in all 13 UN refugee settlements, which is also a major COVID-19 hotspot in the country.
WFP Country Director El-Khidir Daloum thanked the donors for their support in the past years. He explained the current situation of the Ugandan refugees and their sufferings due to hunger. He also requested the donors to come forward to help the refugee operations. He said, “COVID-19 must not be an excuse for the world to turn its back on refugees at this terrible time. We appreciate that donors fully funded our refugee operation in Uganda in 2019 but right now we are unable to keep up even basic food assistance and the poorest will suffer the most as we have to cut still further.”Â
