Crisis Overview
Uganda hosts nearly 2 million refugees, the largest refugee population in Africa, including over 1 million children. Most have fled South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Sudan. Over the last five years, an average of 120,000 people arrived in the country, and in 2025, an average of 460 people per day arrived at the peak. More than 92 per cent of the refugees live in 13 settlements alongside host communities grappling with drought, flooding, deforestation, and overstretched services. Kampala’s 159,000 urban refugees struggle with unemployment, poor housing, limited education, and gender-based violence.
A surge in arrivals and an unprecedented funding shortfall have strained the humanitarian response. Partners are forced to make decisions about what - and whom - to prioritize. Critical assistance in health, education, water, GBV prevention, mental health and psychosocial support, child protection, and peaceful coexistence has been scaled back to allow emergency assistance for new arrivals in 2025.
Uganda
Overcrowded schools don’t dampen the spirit of learning at Koro Primary School in Bidibidi Settlement.
UNHCR/Ssozi Mukasa DanielDespite Uganda’s progressive asylum policies including land allocation, freedom of movement, the right to work, and access to national services, refugee vulnerability is deepening with 94 per cent identified as in need and living in underserved regions of the country where 83 per cent of the host community are also classified as in need. Droughts and floods undermine agricultural productivity, driving families to skip meals, incur debt, and engage in child labour to survive. Women, children, and persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected. Efforts to promote self-reliance are hindered by shrinking resources, small plot sizes, and administrative barriers to accessing work permits.
Given the volatile situation in the neighbouring conflict-affected countries, arrivals are expected to continue, with a few returns in 2026. Predictable investment, stronger coordination, and support for high-need settlements are urgently needed to sustain progress in empowering refugees and host communities while ensuring that the most vulnerable are assisted.
Response priorities and financial requirements for 2026
In a context of declining humanitarian resources and rising needs, the 2026 Uganda refugee response will apply a tiered and data-driven prioritization approach. This ensures life-saving and protection-critical interventions are delivered first, while also pursuing the long-term elements for sustainability, integration, and resilience, recognizing that these are essential for maintaining Uganda’s successful and forward-looking refugee model as well as reducing humanitarian costs in the long term.
The prioritization exercise is structured around three objectives:
(i) life-saving protection and emergency assistance;
(ii) sustaining essential basic services; and
(iii) strengthening resilience and feasible integration into national systems.
Targeting is informed by severity-of-needs analysis derived from multisector assessments and community consultations. This includes village-level targeting in high-influx areas and prioritization of newly arrived refugees at points of entry, and extremely vulnerable households in Bidibidi, Palorinya, Rhino Camp settlements, and other receiving locations. Urban refugees with limited access to national services also remain a priority.
Given operational realities, including staffing reductions across multiple sectors, the response anticipates reaching approximately 1.78 million refugees with multisectoral support.
Prioritized Responses
Tier 1: Lifesaving:
- Protection: reception, registration, critical case management, GBV response, child protection, legal assistance, and strengthened community-based safety mechanisms.
- Health and Nutrition: outbreak response, primary health care, emergency reproductive health, treatment of severe malnutrition and anemia, and essential medicine supply.
- Food Security: targeted food and cash assistance for the most vulnerable, with a process that allows refugees to appeal their vulnerability status, though reach will depend on available funding.
- WASH: 15 liters per person per day of clean water, emergency sanitation, water quality monitoring, desludging, and hygiene promotion.
- Shelter/NFIs: emergency shelter kits, site planning, and Core Relief Items for new arrivals.
- Livelihoods: emergency household food production and immediate income-generation support.
Education: emergency enrollment, learning materials, and limited teacher recruitment in high-influx sites.
Uganda
Newly arrived refugees undergo medical screening at Kabazana Reception Center in Isingiro District before relocation to Nakivale Refugee Settlement.
UNHCR/ Frank WalusimbiTier 2: Essential Services: Core health, protection, education, and livelihoods services will continue but with scaled-back coverage and reduced quality.
Tier 3: Resilience & Systems Integration: Environmental management, land planning, and early self-reliance initiatives to be implemented based on funding availability.
The response will expand localization, with emphasis on gradually handing over responsibilities to community structures, refugee-led organizations, and district authorities where feasible. Targeting and registration systems will be streamlined to reduce duplication and improve accuracy, while cash-based assistance will be increased where market conditions and funding allow. Digital platforms and community feedback mechanisms will strengthen accountability, transparency, and cost-efficiency.
Uganda now stands at a critical juncture. A steady flow of refugees from South Sudan, the DRC, and Sudan—combined with climate shocks, overstretched services, reduced staffing, and volatile funding—has pushed the response to its limits. Increasingly earmarked humanitarian financing leaves little room to adapt to fast-changing needs, and deep funding reductions have forced abrupt programme cuts across food assistance, protection, and essential services. Meeting the moment will require difficult prioritization, renewed investment, and greater reliance on empowered communities, district authorities, and development partners to safeguard resilience and keep vital services functioning.
2025 in review: Response highlights and consequences of inaction
Response highlights
Protection
Asylum & Access to Justice: 145,000 new refugee applicants registered and documented; 118,083 received legal aid; 55,168 complaints.
Child Protection: 26,245 children supported (including 10,073 unaccompanied/separated); 133,100 children reached through community-based initiatives.
WASH
Refugees in long-established settlements received an average of 18 liters per person per day, while those in newer settlements accessed 9 liters per person per day.
Over 70 per cent of water supplied in refugee settlements was pumped using renewable energy, mainly solar, significantly lowering operating costs and reducing environmental impact.
Education
717,685 learners (424,474 refugees and 293,211 nationals) were enrolled across all education levels with 29,256 learners with disabilities were enrolled with gross enrollment of 34 per cent in pre-primary, 79 per cent in primary, and 10 per cent in secondary education, while 3,936 teachers were supported to deliver quality learning.
29,256 learners with disabilities were enrolled (up from 28,341 in Term I), with 1,147 receiving assistive devices, and 11,718 overaged or out-of-school learners, including 9,518 refugees, accessed Accelerated Education Programmes (AEPs).
Health & Nutrition
Refugees accessed care through 89 static health facilities and outreach posts, helping to maintain key health indicators within acceptable thresholds. Under-five and crude mortality rates dropped sharply (from 0.10 in Q2 to 0.03 in Q3) signaling improved service delivery, effective disease control, and community health engagement.
Food security
608,628 refugees received monthly food assistance, delivered through a mix of in-kind support (46 per cent) and cash-based transfers (64 per cent), totaling USD 5.3 million and 6,412.7 metric tons of food. To strengthen targeting and accountability, refugees initially deprioritized from food support were given a chance to appeal. Of the 60,846 households (390,118 individuals) who submitted appeals, 46,986 were reclassified into the highest-priority category and reinstated for General Food Assistance in September 2025.
Shelter, Settlement & NFI
100 per cent of the 68,184 newly arrived refugee households received minimum shelter support. To promote self-reliance and support productive use of land, 23,660 plots were demarcated for livelihood activities across settlements. 648 refugees with specific needs were assisted with semi-permanent shelters, providing enhanced protection and stability for the most vulnerable households.
Energy & Environment
1,232 hectares of new woodlots were established and 2,034 hectares maintained, contributing to reforestation and carbon sequestration.
To promote clean energy access, 19,654 households adopted energy-efficient technologies, while 83 institutions transitioned to cleaner cooking solutions. 787 local artisans were trained and certified in fabricating and constructing efficient cookstoves, and 0.7 tons of briquettes were produced to provide alternative, sustainable fuel sources.
Livelihood and resilience
46,647 refugee households were supported with 13,046 acres of agricultural land, enhancing food production and self-reliance.
Consequences of funding cuts
Protection:
- Loss of experienced Child Protection and GBV staff has weakened survivor-centred care, leaving trauma unaddressed and protection gaps widening. GBV cases rose 32% to 3,221 by September 2025, while Child Protection cases surged 37% to 26,245 compared to the same period in 2024.
- With mental health staffing down by 40%, support has sharply declined even as needs escalate—68% of refugees, especially youth (15–24), are experiencing mental health issues, including attempted suicides.
Food Security:
- WFP reduced food assistance from 1.6 million to 630,000 refugees, phasing out over 1 million people from food support in 2025.
- New arrivals who currently receive the highest level of assistance only get 60 per cent of the standard food ration (equivalent to approximately USD 8 per person per month). After the first six months, food assistance is reduced, and support is determined based on vulnerability criteria. The most vulnerable households (Category 1) now receive only 40 per cent of the standard ration, while Category 2 households receive as little as 22 per cent (approximately USD 2.70 per person per month) of the full recommended daily amount. These are the lowest food assistance rations for refugees in East Africa. As of October 2025, 67 per cent of refugees in Uganda (Category 3) are not receiving any form of food assistance, despite increasing vulnerability across the population. While classified as less vulnerable, Category 3 households are not self-sufficient and remain at risk, excluded from assistance solely due to funding shortfalls.
- Targeted supplementary feeding in eight refugee locations was closed due to underfunding. Settlements with new arrivals tend to be the most affected by malnutrition
- The 2025 Food and Nutrition Security and Agriculture assessment indicates worsening food insecurity in 8 of the 13 refugee settlements, with 63 per cent of refugee households now facing food insecurity—more than double the rate among host communities (29 per cent). Additionally, Global Acute Malnutrition increased from 5.4 per cent in 2024 to 7.8 per cent at mid-2025, with the West Nile having the highest rate, at 9.4 per cent.
Uganda
Newly arrived refugees undergo medical screening at Kabazana Reception Center in Isingiro District before relocation to Nakivale Refugee Settlement.
UNHCR/ Frank WalusimbiEducation:
- Funding cuts are hitting education very hard at a time when Uganda now hosts over 1 million refugee children.
- Funding cuts in early 2025 led to the laying off of 2,000 teachers and reduced partner investments in school infrastructure and learning materials.
- The pupil–teacher ratio worsened from 1:77 (2024) to 1:117 (2025)—more than double the national standard of 1:53, with nearly 120 students per classroom. The most critical overcrowding at the primary level was observed in Rhino (163:1), Imvepi (158:1), Kyangwali (143:1), and Kyaka (153:1). At the secondary level, the highest pupil–classroom ratios were recorded in Adjumani (148:1), Kiryandongo (114:1), Palabek (131:1), and Kyangwali (208:1).
- Nakivale and Kiryandongo settlements report the highest rates of out-of-school children.
- 2,580additional teachers will be needed in 2026 to meet minimum standards.
- Without additional support, community schools (partner-supported, not government-run) may close or shift to community self-management and teachers in government-run schools may be redeployed to cover gaps, undermining integration efforts.
- Education for nearly 300,000 refugee learners (102,700 in community schools and 197,200 in government-run schools) and 92,800 Ugandan learners (16,700 in community schools and 76,100 in government-run schools) will be adversely affected.
WASH:
- Water access is high in coverage but low in quantity: 77 per cent of refugees and 66 per cent of host communities have basic water services, but only one-third meet the SPHERE minimum standard of 20 liters per person per day (lpd). Zones hosting new arrivals receive below 10 lpd, with some areas receiving as little as 5 lpd.
- Funding cuts in 2025 reduced operations and maintenance capacity and slowed infrastructure development and repairs, leading to a 30 per cent reduction in water supply to refugees in protracted settlements.
- Disparities in access to water persist across refugee settlements, with newly arrived populations being the most affected. This inequitable access has led to tensions and disputes within communities.
Health and Nutrition
- Over 438 healthcare workers were laid off, resulting in longer travel distances and increased waiting times.
- The 2025 FSNA results show rising levels of acute malnutrition and anemia across all settlements, largely driven by reduced support for food assistance, healthcare, livelihoods, and water services. Acute malnutrition rates in 2025 (7.8 per cent) have reverted to levels seen in 2022 and 2023, erasing the improvements achieved in 2024 (5.4 per cent). Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) among children under five increased by 2.4 percentage points—a 35 per cent rise compared to 2024—with rates more than tripling in Bidibidi and doubling in Kyangwali, Nakivale, and Oruchinga settlements. Funding shortfalls also led to the discontinuation of the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme (TSFP) in seven locations for pregnant and lactating women, contributing to a worsening nutrition situation among new arrivals.
The Silent Crisis: Funding Shortages Deepen Malnutrition Among Uganda’s Refugees
For Fancine and thousands like her, these funding shortages are not abstract figures—they represent a matter of survival
In the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda’s southwest, Fancine, 20, waits in line for her food ration, cradling her visibly undernourished, months-old baby Espoir, who winces and cries frequently. The wait is painful, but it’s just one chapter in her story of survival. Her journey, marked by violence and loss, began in Ruchuro, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where she fled to escape escalating conflict.
“We were farming in my garden with my husband when we heard bullets,” Fancine recounts, her voice trembling. “We had to flee with my child to Uganda, searching for peace. My husband was killed as we fled, leaving me alone with my child.”
Upon arrival at Nyakabande Transit Centre in Kisoro District, Fancine and Espoir were immediately screened for malnutrition and other illnesses, part of a joint emergency response supported by UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, the Ministry of Health, and partners. Espoir was diagnosed with acute malnutrition and quickly received treatment.
Through consistent medical care and the provision of specialised nutritious foods supplied by WFP and distributed under UNHCR’s coordination, Espoir began visibly recovering. Regular nutrition education sessions delivered by Medical Teams International, a health partner in the response, helped Fancine learn how to prepare balanced meals using the limited food items available and prevent diseases.
Espoir’s early recovery was possible thanks to joint efforts by all partners working together to address urgent nutrition needs at transit and reception centres. In April 2025 alone, 8,885 children under five and 2,424 pregnant and breastfeeding women have been reached through these efforts across Nyakabande, Kabazana, and Matanda.
Due to severe funding constraints, WFP has had to prioritise nutrition support at transit and reception centres only, where malnutrition rates are critically high. Comprehensive services like the Maternal and Child Health Nutrition Programme and the broader Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme have been suspended across most settlements, including in Nakivale, where Fancine has been relocated. This leaves over 51,000 children under two and 42,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women at risk of malnutrition.
This comes at a time when food rations have been slashed, with monthly support to the equivalent of $4.9 per person per month for highly vulnerable refugees and $2.70 per person per month for moderately vulnerable refugees. These are the lowest ration sizes WFP is providing in East Africa.
Meanwhile, UNHCR and UNICEF continue supporting treatment services for severe acute malnutrition across refugee settlements but face increasing challenges due to shortages of human resources, nutrition commodities, and medical supplies. Uganda’s national nutrition pipeline, managed by the National Medical Stores, is projected to break by June 2025, threatening the continuity of treatment for nearly 20,000 children.
Today, Espoir’s recovery from malnutrition is under threat due to the reduced food rations, which may cause him to fall back into malnutrition. “What I need most is help with medical care and food for my child,” Fancine says, determination in her eyes despite everything she’s endured.
Global Appeal with Local Consequences
Despite significant successes, funding cuts have had far-reaching consequences beyond immediate hunger. The sharp increase in refugee arrivals - particularly from the DRC, South Sudan and Sudan – with over 90,000 refugees arriving in Uganda by April 2025 alone, has worsened malnutrition, with Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates spiking as high as 21.5% among newly arriving refugees—a critical situation requiring urgent and continued nutrition support.
“The influx of refugees opens us up to diseases we’ve not dealt with before. Funding cuts have reduced support for maternal and child health programmes, leading to increased anaemia and malnutrition,” explained Dr. Alex Paul Tezita, the in-charge at the Panyadoli Health Centre in the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, home to over 144,000 refugees, mainly from Sudan, South Sudan and the DRC. “We’ve also seen a decline in antenatal and postnatal care attendance.”
The Human Cost of Funding Shortages
As of April 2025, Uganda hosts over 1.8 million refugees and asylum seekers, primarily from the DRC, Sudan, and South Sudan. Despite the increase in numbers, only 9% of the Uganda Country Refugee Response Plan (UCRRP) for Quarter 1 of 2025 has been funded — a 26% decrease compared to the same period in 2024. This severe underfunding has left critical gaps, particularly in Protection (68% decrease) and Health and Nutrition (61% decrease), impacting the ability of WFP, UNHCR, and UNICEF to meet urgent needs.
An emergency appeal of $44 million has been launched by Inter-Agency partners to support the response to 80,000 expected new arrivals from the DRC by September 2025. The response involves seven UN agencies, 15 international NGOs, and two national partners, and forms part of the Uganda Country Refugee Response Plan (UCRRP). The appeal focuses on addressing urgent, life-saving needs, including nutrition, as malnutrition remains a critical concern - especially among children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups.
For Fancine and thousands like her, these funding shortages are not abstract figures—they represent a matter of survival. For now, her daily struggle continues, sustained only by hope—reflected in her child’s name, Espoir, the French word for “hope”—that help will soon arrive for both of them.
References
- The Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA) 2024 findings on the severity of impact of a crisis (on a scale from 1 to 4/4+) based on needs across areas—like food, water, health, shelter, and education. Acute needs are those expressed on a scale of 4 and above. Among them, 24% of refugees and 17% of host community members are in acute need.