Uganda’s refugee response is channeling a one million US dollar, approximately three billion, humanitarian package into two frontline settlements Nakivale and Kyangwali as authorities and partners respond to sustained new arrivals, largely from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The intervention, funded through China’s emergency support and implemented in coordination with the Government of Uganda, is targeting areas currently under the greatest pressure from incoming refugees.
The country director for Finn Church Aid, an implementing partner for the project, Wycliff Nsheka, says the decision to focus on Nakivale and Kyangwali is driven by the scale and consistency of arrivals, with an estimated 1,000 refugees entering through these reception points every month.
“These are the two refugee settlements receiving new arrivals,” Nsheka explains, adding that the funding is designed to respond to the most immediate needs at the point of entry.
The funds support will be used to provide hot meals for refugees upon arrival, ensuring that those entering Uganda’s reception system receive immediate food assistance after often long and difficult journeys.
The programme also includes psychosocial support services aimed at helping new arrivals cope with trauma linked to displacement and conflict.
In addition, women and girls will receive dignity kits to support personal hygiene during the critical transition period between transit centres and settlement integration.
Nsheka notes that this stage is particularly sensitive, as refugees move from reception facilities into longer-term settlement structures.
He explains that Uganda’s refugee system typically channels arrivals through transit centres before moving them into settlement-based reception facilities, making the early stage of arrival the most critical for intervention.
Finn Church Aid, working alongside the Office of the Prime Minister and other partners, will oversee implementation, ensuring that the assistance reaches new arrivals in real time as they enter the system.
The targeted approach reflects a broader strategy to concentrate limited humanitarian resources on high-pressure entry points within Uganda’s refugee landscape, where needs are most immediate and continuously growing.