UNHCR faces funding shortage as more flee South Sudan

The United Nation's refugee body, UNHCR, has appealed to donors to speed up contributions to respond to the humanitarian situation of refugees fleeing South Sudan into Uganda.

In a joint statement with the Ugandan government on Wednesday, the agency said it is overwhelmed by the numbers of refugees and as a result has started rationing food and cash assistance to the refugees by up to 50 per cent.

Uganda is hosting over 200,000 refugees who fled South Sudan following the latest round of clashes between forces loyal to President Salvar Kiir and his former First Vice President Dr Riek Machar.

“Low levels of funding, together with a large number of new arrivals fleeing to Uganda from South Sudan since 7 July, has left the refugee response with no choice but to re-prioritise their focus on those refugees in greatest need,” said Charlie Yaxley, associate external relations officer of UNHCR in Kampala.

Mr Yaxley however said those who are vulnerable such as the elderly, orphans, and the sick will not be affected by the new directive. Also to continue receiving full ration are those in need of malnutrition treatment.

Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) commissioner for Refugees David Apollo Kazungu appealed to the international community to do more.

“People are fleeing because they are afraid for their lives. Our communities are welcoming them and giving them what we can: land and hope for a better future. But our message to the international community is this: we need your help to meet their basic needs until they are able to stand on their own two feet,” Mr Kazungu said.

Increasing population

WFP requires approximately $7 million every month to provide life-saving food assistance to refugees in Uganda but with increased population, the body would need an additional $20 million to restore full food rations to refugees for the rest of the year.

“We have done everything we can to avoid this, but we have been left with no option but to reduce food assistance for many of the refugees in Uganda in order to stretch available resources and prioritise the most vulnerable new arrivals,” said Mike Sackett, WFP’s Acting Country Director for Uganda.

Mr Sackett said that it was their hope that the current situation is temporary as they work to raise resources to provide full assistance to all in need.

Refugees receive 2,122 calories of food per person per day, together with a minimum recommended daily allowance during their first year, which decreases as they become more self-reliant during their time in Uganda.

Other refugees receive cash assistance in place of food rations, which provides them with the opportunity to exercise greater personal choice.

The humanitarian response to South Sudanese refugees in Uganda was already underfunded even before the outbreak of violence in Juba on July 8, which has since forced more than 70,000 people to cross the border into Uganda.

OPM and UNHCR lead and co-coordinate the response to the roughly 600,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda.

They collaborate with the World Food Programme to provide new arrivals with life-saving food assistance.

At the end of 2015, Uganda was the third-largest refugee hosting country in Africa and the eighth-largest in the world.