Uganda to Host Nearly 2 Mln Refugees by End of 2025 Due To Escalating Crises: UN

UNITED NATIONS, Xinhua: Uganda, already home to 1.93 million refugees, is on the verge of hosting 2 million refugees by the end of 2025 due to escalating crises in Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a UN spokesperson said on Monday.

The crises in Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been driving an average of 600 people to cross the border daily in search of safety and lifesaving aid, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, at a daily briefing, citing the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Uganda is already the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa and the third largest globally, said Haq.

Uganda’s progressive refugee policy allows refugees to live, work and access public services, but funding shortfalls are drastically impacting aid delivery and threaten to undo years of progress, he said.

Currently, Uganda’s refugee response is only 25 percent funded, and UNHCR is calling for more urgent and sustained international support and solidarity to ensure refugees and their local communities can live safe and more dignified lives, said the spokesperson. ■