The Influx of Sudanese Refugees to Uganda Amid Low Funding

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The International Rescue Committee (IRC) reported that the reception department at Kiryandongo Refugee Camp in central-western Uganda registers between 150 to 200 asylum requests from Sudanese nationals daily. Sudanese refugees currently make up the largest group of new arrivals in Uganda this year, accounting for 36% of the total number of new arrivals.

In a statement released on Friday, the organization explained that most Sudanese refugees arriving at Kiryandongo camp are facing a shortage of medical supplies, medicines, and adequate healthcare infrastructure, posing health and safety risks to vulnerable individuals. As the primary healthcare provider in the camp, the IRC emphasized the urgent need for more funding to meet the growing needs of the increasing refugee population.

Shashwat Saraf, the IRCs Regional Emergency Director for East Africa, stated: “Over a year of intense fighting in Sudan has forced millions to flee their homes, escaping the unfolding humanitarian disaster. They arrive in neighboring countries severely traumatized and in need of medical care and essential aid, which is often scarce, as we see in Uganda. Host countries for refugees urgently require more funds: currently, the Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan is only 23% funded. Moreover, the violence in Sudan must end now so that people no longer have to flee their homes.”