BY F MALE: The government of Saudi Arabia and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center have donated food aid to Nakivale Refugees.
The 342 tonnes of relief food, worth 1.8 billion shillings (500,000 USD), comprises 12,700 food boxes containing maize flour, sugar, rice, beans, 1 kilogram of salt, and two liters of vegetable cooking oil.
Lilian Aber, the State Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees, while receiving the donation at the Prime Minister’s office in Kampala on Tuesday, mentioned that the donation is targeting vulnerable Congolese refugees at Nakivale Refugee Settlement, which borders Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to the Minister, out of the 1.7 million refugees hosted in Uganda, 531,000 come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, making up 38.8% of the total refugee population. This highlights the urgent need for humanitarian assistance.
Aber also emphasized the urgent need for increased funding to support refugees in Uganda, stressing areas such as medical care, education, infrastructure for host communities, and livelihoods.
The State Minister called for enhanced international support to address these critical needs.
She also underscored the importance of collaboration among nations signatories to the United Nations Charter on Refugees to tackle global refugee challenges.
This appeal comes amid ongoing efforts to improve conditions for refugees worldwide.
Mohammed Bin Khalil Faloudah, Ambassador of the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Uganda, commended the Ugandan government for its facilitative role in supporting refugee initiatives.
He praised the strong bilateral relationship between Uganda and Saudi Arabia and pledged continued assistance, further strengthening the collaborative efforts to enhance refugee welfare in the region.
Nakivale Refugee Settlement is the 8th largest in the world, established in 1958, and Uganda officially recognized it as a refugee settlement in 1960.
It is divided into 79 villages, with 171,387 refugees from the DRC, Ethiopia, South Sudan, among others.