Uganda is on the brink of hosting 2 million refugees, as daily arrivals fleeing violence in Sudan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) stretch the country’s resources to breaking point.
With an average of 600 people entering Uganda each day since the start of 2025, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warns that without urgent global support, essential services like food, shelter, and healthcare could collapse as emergency funding is projected to run out by September.
Director of External Relations Division,UNHCR, Dominique Hyde, following a visit to Kiryandongo refugee settlement, said the situation was untenable, noting that malnourished children, desperate women, and overcrowded facilities show the dire effects of a response effort that is only 25 percent funded.
Uganda’s inclusive refugee policy allows displaced persons to access work and public services, but funding shortfalls mean refugees now receive just a third of what they need. As food and medical supplies shrink, cases of malnutrition, school dropouts, gender-based violence, and mental health crises among youth are rising sharply.