Korean Government's generous rice donation supports WFP’s Uganda Initiatives
The Republic of Korea has made a significant contribution to the World Food Program (WFP), donating 3,000 metric tons of rice valued at $2.8 million.
This donation will play an instrumental role in sustaining crucial programs aimed at assisting refugees and supporting school feeding initiatives in Uganda. This initiative is a continuation of Korea's support, bringing the total rice contribution since 2018 to 24,000 tons.
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Uganda, which hosts more than 1.7 million refugees primarily from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, continues to face a heavy influx of new arrivals. In 2024 and 2025, the donation will allow WFP to provide hot meals to approximately 90,000 refugees as they enter the country.
Given the surge of refugees fleeing conflict and arriving with little to no resources, the immediate provision of hot meals is a critical, yet costly, part of Uganda's refugee response strategy. This rice donation will help bridge this gap, offering sustenance to vulnerable communities during a challenging time.
Furthermore, Korea’s donation will extend to Uganda's Karamoja region, where WFP has been working in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports to implement the Homegrown School Feeding Program.
This program currently supports over 200,000 children across 315 schools in Karamoja, many of whom are at risk of dropping out due to economic hardship.
The school meals not only provide necessary nutrition but also serve as an incentive for keeping children, especially girls, in school, helping protect them from social challenges such as early marriage.
In addition to addressing the immediate food needs, the Homegrown School Feeding Program links to local agricultural efforts, buying produce from smallholder farmers and injecting millions of dollars into the local economy.
The initiative also promotes the cultivation of nutritious, drought-resistant crops, such as orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, which are now grown in 83 schools in the region. Plans are underway to expand this effort to all schools supported by WFP.
Through the provision of essential food supplies, WFP, with the support of the Korean government, continues to help build a future where both refugees and local Ugandan communities can thrive.
