European Union boosts WFP's efforts to support refugees in Uganda and to fight hunger in Karamoja
KAMPALA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of EUR 5.1 million (approximately 20 billion Uganda Shillings) from the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department (ECHO) to provide life-saving food assistance in the form of cash transfers for more than 850,000 refugees in Uganda, and for emergency food assistance and treatment for malnutrition for an additional 183,288 people in the Karamoja region.
“The recent arrival of thousands of new refugees into Uganda is stretching already limited resources and the combined effects of consecutive years of below-average food harvests, poor livestock production and sharply rising food prices, have left half a million people facing hunger in Karamoja,” says Abdirahman Meygag, WFP’s Country Director in Uganda.
WFP supports 1.3 million refugees in Uganda, with more than 50 percent of them receiving food assistance in the form of cash transfers. WFP uses cash transfers to empower people with choice to address their essential needs in local markets, while also helping to boost local economies.
“If we are to reach zero hunger by 2030, it is important that we do not leave any group of people behind. Refugees and the people of Karamoja have all been hit by shocks, and it is our duty to help them survive and thrive,” says Bruno Rotival, Head of the EU Humanitarian Aid Office in Uganda. “The EU considers WFP as an important partner in extending support to those who need it the most.”
WFP, with funding from the European Union’s department for International Partnerships (INTPA), is also addressing the long-term needs of the people of Karamoja by implementing sustainable livelihood activities such as fish farming, beekeeping and homegrown school feeding programmes to build the resilience of vulnerable families to cope with climate shocks such as droughts and flooding.
The contribution of EUR 5.1 million from ECHO comes in addition to EUR 7.5 million received in 2021.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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