Cash assistance from EU and WFP empowers Uganda’s most vulnerable refugees

WFP, in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and UNHCR, will deliver the assistance through digital cash transfers via mobile money and agency banking services to the most vulnerable and newly arrived refugees, primarily from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Sudan. 

“Cash-based transfers are among the most effective ways to support refugee families and host communities, ensuring assistance reaches those in need safely, quickly, and with dignity,” said Liam Kelly, who oversees EU humanitarian aid programmes in Uganda. “Because cash assistance is flexible and multi-purpose, it empowers families to address their most urgent needs while also strengthening local markets and businesses. By enabling people to purchase goods and services within their communities, cash assistance contributes to economic recovery, promotes financial inclusion, builds resilience, and helps lay the foundation for long-term stability.”

In the context of the ongoing Ebola outbreak, the use of digital cash transfers is proving critical by enabling refugees to receive assistance remotely. Digital payments help reduce crowding at distribution points, limit potential exposure to infection, and allow families to safely access food while maintaining flexibility and dignity.

“Cash transfers are at the heart of a more efficient and people-centred humanitarian response, empowering refugees by putting choice in their hands,” said Marcus Prior, WFP’s Acting Country Representative in Uganda. “As part of the broader humanitarian reset, WFP is committed to prioritising assistance based on needs, increasing efficiency in how we deliver support, and working closely with local partners to strengthen Uganda’s refugee response.”

Uganda hosts more than two million refugees across 13 settlements – the largest refugee population in Africa. WFP continues to work with the Government of Uganda and partners to link emergency assistance with longer-term solutions, strengthening resilience and supporting refugee and host communities on a pathway toward self-reliance.