By Mulengera Reporters
Housed in the Office of the Prime Minister, the GoU Ministry responsible for refugees has clarified that there is no war or bad blood between them on one hand and the top leadership at the UNHCR offices in Uganda on the other.
Media reports had indicated growing mistrust and tensed up interactions resulting from the relevant GoU officials asking the tough questions relating to how much is being fundraised through the UN system, to fund refugee programmes, for & on behalf of the Ugandan Government.
The latest media statement indicates there is no bad blood and that the OPM-UNHCR relationship remains cordial and very okay as always. The Ministry statement makes it clear that the last month decision to lay off slightly over 100 employees working on the refugee programme wasn’t out of personal vendetta or desire to witch-hunt Ugandan employees. But that it’s one regrettable development that was made inevitable because of the dwindling budgetary provisions available to sustain refugee support operations.
The press release makes reference to the 23rd May meeting during which the GoU during which the GoU and UN Refugee agency representatives discussed options and mitigation measures that can jointly be undertaken to cushion the country’s refugee operations from being negatively impacted by the finance squeeze currently plaguing humanitarian work globally. The parties at that meeting also reflected on the fact that the global funding environment for such work had greatly been disrupted and changed globally and there was need to begin thinking outside the box.
The news statement indicates that the new funding constraints had necessitated making difficult decisions including those relating to staff reductions which have since had to be undertaken by UNHCR closely cooperating and working with the OPM and other stakeholders. “These measures reflect a broader global response to severe funding limitations,” the statement reads in part. “We regret the impact on the affected personnel and on the refugees we serve.”
Also made clear is the promise for the partnership and cooperation between UNHCR and the GoU to continue and remain undiminished in the management of the refugee response. It’s also made clear that the UNHCR will continue operating in a manner that is transparent while aligning with Uganda’s national priorities so that there is continuity in delivery of essential services to refugees and Ugandan districts or communities that host them.
With 110,000 new refugees freshly arriving into its border in the preceding 12 months, Uganda currently hosts a total of 1.9m refugees. Even when this is the case, funding for UNHCR, which is the UN agency charged with refugee management, is down to only 17% of the total funding requirement for the year 2025.
In the same media statement, the GoU calls upon the international community to step forward and increase support to ensure that all refugee support operations are carried on as before. There is also need for the international community to reciprocate Uganda’s excellent refugees’ policy by working towards ensuring that the pro-refugee solidarity that has always existed doesn’t stall.
In a related development, hundreds of Ugandans have expressed themselves online in response to earlier media reports on this issue. Many of them are calling on the GoU to diminish on it’s self-imposed obligations regarding refugee hosting operations to be able to adjust to new economic realities whereby every country, including wealthy nations, is these days prioritizing their own citizens.
They are calling on Gen Museveni to concentrate on providing for the material welfare of Ugandan citizens and leave refugees to carry their own cross now that the international community has become less willing to fund organizations like UNHCR. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
