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News from 2017-12-20 / KfW Development Bank

More support for refugees in Uganda

KfW Development Bank provides EUR 10 million to Refugee Response Fund

Refugees at a camp in Uganda.
Seeking refuge from war and violence in their home countries: refugees at a camp in Uganda.

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), EUR 10 million has been committed to support South Sudanese refugees and host communities in Uganda. The funds will be applied using the Refugee Response Fund, a new facility set up with the support of German Financial Cooperation. "The fund's goal is to identify projects that aim to help refugees and local communities and then provide them with funding quickly without any red tape," said KfW's Head of Department Helmut Gauges at the opening ceremony in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. The projects will be implemented by partners including aid organisations.

At the ceremony, the German ambassador to Uganda, Dr Albrecht Conze, honoured the country's readiness to welcome and support refugees from neighbouring countries. Northern Uganda is currently home to around one million refugees from South Sudan, as well as people from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Somalia seeking safety from war and violence in their home countries. The large number of refugees has exacerbated social problems in northern Uganda, where there is a lack of jobs, drinking water and schools for children.

Drinking water and schools for northern Uganda

The fund is managed by the Ugandan Refugee Authority. During the initial phase of implementation a portion of the funds provided will support two projects aimed at improving the water supply and giving more girls and boys the chance to go to school. At the Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement in the Arua district, deep wells are drilled and water pipelines constructed on behalf of the aid organisation Oxfam. This will provide approximately 45,000 people with access to drinking water. In addition, sanitary facilities, such as toilets and heath stations, are also under construction, improving hygiene and health care for over 13,000 people.

The organisation Save the Children is supporting the expansion of the education system at a camp in the Yumbe district. The aim is to build new schools and classrooms for refugees and local boys and girls. At the same time, local communities are receiving help in operating sustainable schools. Special educational programmes are due to be established for children who have missed long periods of school. In the second phase, further projects will be financed from the commitment to cover the most urgent needs locally.

The selected fund-based approach allows for a swift response to the basic needs of refugees and locals. At the same time, social and economic development is being promoted in the region of northern Uganda.

Further information:

KfW's commitment in Uganda