Kyaka II refugees decry food shortages
The Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O) Keddi Foundation Dr Steven Keddi (3rd R) and his team with some of the items that were donated to refugees in Kyaka II settlement on Tuesday. Photo/Paul Adude
What you need to know:
- Early last year, refugees in Bidibidi refugee settlement in Yumbe district raised concern over the reduction of food ratios by the World Food Program (WFP) saying it was a violation of their rights.
Uganda is Africa’s largest refugee host country, providing refuge to over 1.5 million people, according to UNHCR.
Most refugees come from South Sudan (57%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (32%), Somalia (3%), and Burundi (3%).
Early last year, refugees in Bidibidi refugee settlement in Yumbe district raised concern over the reduction of food ratios by the World Food Program (WFP) saying it was a violation of their rights. This followed a complaint by the WFP, the lead agency in food distribution of constraints caused by funding challenges and yet they have many war torn areas to take care of.
But as the country continues to experience an influx of refugees from neighboring countries such as DRC currently experiencing civil war, there’s a continued restlessness among refugees in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in Kyegegwa District with concerns mainly arising from food shortages and lack of basic necessities.
According to Mr Jjeni Mwanbu, a Congolese refugee at Kyaka II Refugee, the refugees at times go hungry due to food shortages and are unable to live a better life due to lack of essential domestic necessities.
“Some days we go through a lot of challenges like lack of enough food, essential items for household needs to help us but we are so happy for whatever humanitarian support comes our way,” he said on the sidelines of a humanitarian visit to the camp by the Keddi Foundation led by the chief executive officer, Steven Keddi Zuluba on Tuesday.
Keddi who donated relief items, including scholastic materials, food and other items worth millions to Kyaka II refugee camp and Angels care school said the imitative was aimed at boosting the livelihoods of refugees and host community around the camp.
“I urge the refugees to remain hopeful despite the continued impacts of the wars in their countries of origin that scattered their families. Uganda is a very good hospitable country and so peaceful. We were meant to serve humanity and that’s what we are doing to share with different people the little we have” he said.
While at Angels Care School, he encouraged pupils who are mostly from the refugee community to remain focused on studies despite the challenges they face in their journey of education.
“The school has 1,300 pupils and 90 percent of them are refugees, most of these learners go through a lot to study. There are a lot of necessities required to ensure these young people learn, as Keddi foundation, we are going to ensure that we keep encouraging them and support them where necessary,” he said.
According to the Director Angels Care School, Pastor Godfrey Byaruhanga, the school started with only 30 pupils but since a recent call was made for the refugees to enroll their children in school to attain formal education, the number of learners has drastically increased to 1,300 learners currently.
“As a school near the refugee community, we face a lot of challenges including lack of fees payment from the poor parents, there’s even need to provide support to the girl child who suffer menstrual challenges like lack of menstrual pads including other challenges,” he said.
