The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | URN | The Deputy speaker of parliament has urged the European Union to increase humanitarian support, warning that a deep funding shortfall is straining public services and host communities as the country continues to shelter more than two million refugees and asylum-seekers.
Thomas Tayebwa made the appeal on Monday during a meeting at Parliament with Members of the European Parliament Tineke Strik and Anna Strolenberg, who are visiting Uganda to examine its refugee policies and explore closer cooperation on migration and protection.
According to figures cited by Tayebwa, Uganda’s 2026 refugee response plan requires approximately $850 million, yet international partners have so far provided only 12 percent of that amount. The shortfall is already being felt across government institutions and local services.
Tayebwa said reductions in partner-supported staffing have affected the number of teachers and health workers in refugee-hosting areas, while the Department of Refugees under the Office of the Prime Minister is also under pressure.
“From our assessment, the current humanitarian funding model is no longer sufficient. Without alternative financing, pressure will overwhelm the government and host communities,” he said.
Uganda remains Africa’s largest refugee-hosting nation. Data from the Office of the Prime Minister and UNHCR place the population of refugees and asylum-seekers above two million, with the majority originating from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Women and children constitute roughly 77 percent of those hosted.
Under the Refugees Act of 2006 and related regulations, Uganda grants freedom of movement, access to employment and use of national services, an approach long presented as a model of progressive protection in the region.
That model, however, depends heavily on external financing. When humanitarian programmes scale back support for staffing or service delivery, the costs fall more directly on already stretched schools, clinics, water systems and local administrations that serve both refugees and Ugandan residents.
Tayebwa stressed that Uganda would not abandon its open-door policy.
“These people are helpless; they are vulnerable,” he said. “We struggle to provide for these refugees, but we are not struggling with the spirit of humanity to welcome them.”
Beyond immediate funding, Tayebwa called on the EU to invest more in addressing the conflicts that drive displacement from neighbouring countries. “We should go to the root cause of the problem in the region that causes the refugee influx,” he said.
He also warned that prolonged vulnerability without adequate support or livelihood opportunities could increase risks of exploitation, trafficking and recruitment by armed groups, though such risks require case-specific evidence rather than generalisation.
The EU remains one of Uganda’s consistent humanitarian partners. Official figures show it has allocated €20.7 million for Uganda in 2026, following €23.9 million in 2025, and more than €194 million since 2021. These resources support emergency assistance, food security, education, protection and disaster preparedness.
Strik acknowledged both Uganda’s hospitality and the funding challenge. “The EU and also the Netherlands can take Uganda as an example of hospitality,” she said, adding that “international partners should not leave Uganda alone.”
Tayebwa framed the discussion as part of a wider Africa-Europe partnership at a time of strained multilateralism. “Africa needs a predictable partner,” he said.
