The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Ignoring humanitarian need is worsening suffering, fueling instability, and prolonging conflicts
ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | For millions of people in conflict-ridden countries, their world is collapsing as the international neglect of life-saving aid reaches alarming levels, humanitarian agencies have warned.
“I have never before seen such a glaring gap between the need for life-saving aid and available funding. The overall level of humanitarian assistance is totally insufficient, and just a few crises receive funding and attention while most are forgotten,” said Jan Egeland, the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
“The gap between the growing needs and the available funding has increased over the last decade, but last year was the first with an actual drop in humanitarian funding. The outlook for this year is even bleaker, leaving more people in dire need without any support at all.”
Humanitarian needs have continued to grow in 2024. Of the US$ 48.7 billion needed to meet acute needs, only US$ 9 billion, or 18%, had been received by June 2024, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ mid-year update.
Yet, this meager funding is often unevenly distributed, with nearly half of 2023’s funds allocated to just five emergencies (Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and occupied Palestinian territories), leaving critical areas like Sudan, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Myanmar, and others drastically underfunded.
Burkina Faso tops the list of neglected displacement crises with only 16% of its humanitarian response plan funded. Other severely underfunded crises include Sudan (17%), Venezuela (10%), Myanmar (12%), Ethiopia (14%), and El Salvador (14%).
Uganda’s open-door policy
In Uganda, the refugee population has swelled to 1.68 million due to ongoing persecution, conflicts, and communal violence in neighboring countries. Most refugees hail from South Sudan, DR Congo, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, and over 15 other nations. Since 2022, over 300,000 people, including 35,000 from Sudan alone, have sought refuge in Uganda according to the UNHCR.
The strain on public services healthcare, education, water, and sanitation have increased as humanitarian organizations, already stretched thin, face increased demands amid limited funding. Although Uganda’s open-door policy is hailed globally as a best practice, it is at the moment being stretched to the limit as it strives extend services to the refugees.
“Uganda has made a strong statement that beyond feeling safe and welcomed, refugees need opportunities to thrive. They need a chance to learn and progress, to earn a living, and to feel a sense of belonging,” said Hilary Onek, the Minister of Disaster Preparedness, Relief, and Refugees during this year’s International Refugee Day, celebrated on June 20.
Onek noted that Uganda, along with other countries hosting refugees, requires solidarity from the international community in alignment with the Global Compact on Refugees. “It is impossible for Uganda, as Africa’s largest host country, to cope without additional support and resources. Public and private donors must step up and act,” said Onek.
“We have a collective obligation to support refugees in their country of asylum by facilitating access to quality education, healthcare, and social services,” added Matthew Crentsil, the UNHCR Country Representative in Uganda.
“Additionally, we must encourage their active participation in developmental activities in their local communities and promote self-reliance by strengthening the job market in refugee-hosting districts.” These actions, Crentsil said, demonstrate solidarity with refugees and create conditions for them to support themselves and their communities while in exile.
Donor fatigue?
In 2024, the UNHCR and its partners made an appeal for US$ 858 million towards its response in Uganda but only 13% has been received, leaving forcibly displaced persons predominantly women and children and 2.7 million host community members increasingly vulnerable as access to services and food assistance dwindles.
“Refugee children need sustainable access to basic services including education, health, nutrition, protection, water, and sanitation,” stressed Dr. Munir Safieldin (PhD), the UNICEF Representative in Uganda.
“This requires a long-term commitment from all parties to integrate refugees into national service delivery systems and to promote their resilience and self-reliance, particularly adolescents, youth, and women,” he added.
Crisis in DR Congo
On July 2, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) called for “immediate and sustained action to respond to the severe humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the situation continues to deteriorate.”
The UN agency highlighted the suffering of displaced people amidst what it calls one of the world’s most neglected crises. As of October last year, 6.9 million people had been displaced across the DR Congo, with numbers expected to rise.
In North Kivu alone, by the end of May, attacks from the M23 rebel group had displaced 1.77 million people a staggering 16% increase from the previous report. The humanitarian situation is dire, exacerbated by armed groups causing widespread displacement and straining an already fragile context. Recent incidents include a massacre in Lubero territory and the reported seizure of Kanyabayonga town.
In Goma, the socio-economic situation has deteriorated as the city remains cut off from supply routes. Despite efforts to reduce crime, civilians including many displaced people face theft, burglary, abuse, and harassment.
The proximity of frontlines and the presence of weapons near displacement sites has significantly compromised the security of displaced populations. In 2024 alone, sixteen incidents in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) sites resulted in the deaths of at least 37 people and injuries to more than 50. Gender-based violence, especially targeting women and girls, has seen a troubling increase.
The crisis extends beyond North Kivu. Over 77,700 people have fled to South Kivu, and conflicts in Fizi territory since April 2024 have displaced nearly 30,000 people. Ituri province remains volatile with ongoing violations against civilians.
Disasters too have compound the crisis. Rising water levels in Lake Tanganyika, heavy rains, and flooded rivers caused flooding and landslides in South Kivu and Tanganyika, displacing over 50,000 people in May alone. Yet, the IOM says although the 2024 humanitarian response plan needs at least US$ 190 million to assist 2.4 million people. However, only US$ 24.8 million has been secured as of May 6 this year.
The Norwegian Refugee Council’s recent report, “Weathering the storm,” highlights how suspending or withdrawing development aid after unconstitutional government changes burdens already stretched humanitarian actors, placing additional strain on underfunded global systems.
As such, agencies like the World Food Programme and UNHCR have cut food and cash assistance, forcing some refugees to return to unsafe areas or resort to negative coping mechanisms like selling possessions or engaging in exploitative activities.
“It is devastating that nations can send satellites to the far side of the moon but are unwilling to prevent children from starving to death here on Earth,” lamented Egeland. “We rely on contributions from just a few countries, while many capable of providing more assistance do far too little.”
Inaction costs lives
The Norwegian Refugee Council warns that inaction is costsing lives, forcing vulnerable populations into negative coping mechanisms like selling possessions or engaging in harmful activities, perpetuating cycles of vulnerability and instability.
“Ignoring humanitarian needs worsens suffering, fuels instability, undermines social cohesion, and prolongs conflicts, impacting regional and international stability,” adds the Norwegian humanitarian agency.“Donor governments must sustain or increase humanitarian budgets, focusing on equitable financing for neglected crises.”
