Japan contributes US$ 4.3 million to support efforts towards refugees and host communities in Uganda and food and nutrition security in Karamoja sub-region

The Government of Japan has committed approximately US$ 4.3 million to support refugees and host communities as well as vulnerable population in Karamoja sub-region, over a period of one year from April 2024 to March 2025. 

The support has been channeled through the United Nations and International Organizations: the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). 

“We recognize that the humanitarian situation in refugee-hosting areas has become more serious by the day and vulnerable communities in Karamoja have been suffering from chronic food insecurity. The 2024’s contribution will be made with a specific focus on lifesaving protection and security of food and nutrition for refugee communities and Karamoja area. The Government of Japan will continue to support Ugandan people with acknowledging Uganda’s refugee policy and needs for humanitarian–development supports under our strong partnership among the stakeholders.” said Ambassador Sasayama Takuya. 

Honourable Lillian Aber, Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, who attended the press conference said, “On behalf of the Government of Uganda I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of Japan through the Ambassador of Japan in Uganda for the generosity exhibited towards supporting the refugee community this year again. This year, support for Karamoja sub-region is also covered. We are grateful for Japan’s cooperation in supporting humanitarian situations in Uganda despite a variety of global forced displacement and climate change effects. We look forward to a year of close cooperation and collaboration with Japan in the implementation of some of our GRF pledges made last year at GRF summit.” 

Speaking on behalf of the UN system in Uganda, Susan Ngongi Namondo, the UN Resident Coordinator, said, “I would like to applaud the government and people of Japan for this valuable contribution to sustaining support to refugee and host communities. Japan’s commitment to Leaving No One Behind by focusing on vulnerable people in need of food and nutrition assistance in Karamoja is admirable.” 

Present at the press conference were representatives of the involved UN agencies: Mr. Matthew Crentsil (UNHCR Uganda, Representative); Ms. Gift Malunga (UNFPA Uganda, Country Representative) and Mr. Abdirahman Meygag (WFP Uganda, Country Director).

At the middle of last December, the 2nd Global Refugee Forum was held in Geneva with over 4,000 participants. The government of Japan made 9 pledges to a wide range of areas in the Forum. In line with the commitments of GRF, this JSB grant will be surely one of the very results made by Japan with the partner agencies. 

Uganda is the largest refugee hosting country in Africa with more than 1.6 million refugees and majority of the refugees in Uganda originate from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia. Refugees and asylum seekers are entitled to work, have freedom of movement and can access social services. The supplementary budget projects will ensure and strengthen their livelihood improvement against conflict and gender-based violence. 

Another objective of the assistance has been provided to overcoming the vulnerability of the global food system caused mainly by the Ukraine situation lasting. Uganda has faced commodity supply disruption which affects household food and nutrition security. Karamoja sub-region specifically faces severe food insecurity and malnutrition situations which are caused by prolonged climate change, and the needs of vulnerable population in the area are critically high since the situation has not eased yet. 

UNHCR: has received US$ 2,400,000 towards Uganda's Country Refugee Response Plan for 2024. This support will enable UNHCR to provide comprehensive assistance services to over 1,100,000 refugees and their host communities in Uganda, with a focus on addressing immediate health and food security needs, promoting self-reliance, and providing children and women with humanitarian assistance. UNHCR is also committed to promoting refugee inclusion in line with the Government's Global Compact on Refugees commitment and will facilitate access to arable land for agriculture productivity, and economic inclusion, through advocacy, involvement of the private sector and support to rice farmers. This intervention will specifically support the continuation and expansion of UNHCR-JICA cooperation on rice promotion and farming for refugees and their hosts, in line with the country’s Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, which promotes refugees’ socio-economic inclusion in their hosting communities. This contribution is a remarkable gesture of solidarity with Uganda. 

UNFPA: has received US$ 1,001,855 to provide critical lifesaving Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRHR) and Gender Based Violence (GBV) services for the newly arriving refugees and other disaster-affected persons. The project "Delivering Lifesaving Integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Interventions in Emergency (DELISiE)" will integrate Minimum Initial Service Package. The DELISiE project will provide vital SRHR and GBV services in disaster-prone districts, prioritizing women of reproductive age, especially pregnant women, GBV survivors, sexually active men, and boys, along with members of host communities and older refugee populations. The project will support 36 health centers III, 12 health centers IV, and 5 hospitals to ensure they can provide essential lifesaving care. The project is expected to reach an estimated 335,188 women of reproductive age, including 40,223pregnant women and 6,033 pregnant women in need of obstetric care. Additionally, 6,704 GBV survivors will receive vital support and services. The project will be implemented in refugee-receiving settlements in the hosting districts in West Nile, Acholi and Southwest and disaster-prone districts in Eastern and Southwestern Uganda. 

WFP: has received US$ 312,000 to support the treatment and prevention of malnutrition targeting over 5,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and under-5 children in the Karamoja region of north-eastern Uganda. In strong coordination with Government structures and communities, WFP interventions will aim to reduce prevalence of malnutrition in Moroto and Nabilatuk districts in Karamoja. WFP has also received US$ 590,000 under another funding instrument of the Government of Japan for management and prevention of malnutrition in Uganda, namely the Project for Emergency Support to improve Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa. Together with the Supplementary Funding, these contributions will be used for management and prevention of malnutrition in Uganda. The project will focus on providing Specialized Nutritious Foods (SNFs) to 51,000 beneficiaries for management and prevention of malnutrition in refugee hosting districts of Uganda while implementing Social Behaviour Change (SBC) approaches to promote long term and sustainable health and nutrition behaviours and practices at household level.

Embassy of Japan in Uganda                               Office of the Prime Minister 

Hiroyuki Hayashi                                                      Douglas Asiimwe 

First Secretary                                                           Ag. Commissioner Refugee Management 

Tel: +256 752 734 484                                              Tel: +256 772 969 054 

Email: hiroyuki.hayashi-3@mofa.go.jp               Email: asiimwedw@yahoo.com 

UNHCR Uganda                                                       UNFPA Uganda 

Frank Walusimbi                                                       Ms. Chan Ju (Janice) Park 

Associate Communications Officer                    Resource Mobilization & Partnerships Specialist 

Tel: +256 772701140                                               Tel: +256 773082149 

Email: walusimf@unhcr.org                                 Email: cpark@unfpa.org

 WFP Uganda 

Magnus Bruun-Rasmussen 

Head of Partnerships

 Tel: +256 775 828 223 

Email: magnus.bruunrasmussen@wfp.org