Uganda is experiencing both protracted and ongoing refugee situations. Uganda is currently hosting over 1,532,168 refugees, the largest refugee population in Africa and third largest worldwide. The refugees are South Sudanese at 56.6% (867,391), Congolese at 31.8% (487,044), Somali 4.6% (70,020), Burundian 2.7% (41,235), Eritreans 2.1% (31,424) Rwandan 1.5% (23,299), and others 0.8% (11,755). 85% of Uganda’s refugees are women and children (Access the latest statistics here).

The Government provides for freedom of movement and allocation of land for shelter and for agricultural use to refugees settling in designated areas. About 95% of refugees live in settlements alongside host communities, areas which are the poorest and most underdeveloped in the country.

However, host communities are burdened by the presence of the large refugee population and face their own economic, environmental and development challenges that continue to require support. Equitable attention to the needs of both communities is essential to sustaining peaceful co-existence and to mitigate shocks to the existing basic service systems.

The PROSPECTS Partnership is targeting three districts representing different socio-economic contexts: Nakivale refugee settlement (Isingiro district in the South) a 60-year old refugee hosting area with the most diverse refugee population (ethnicities and nationalities), Imvepi and Rhino Camp settlements (in Madi Okollo and Terego districts in the West Nile) hosts South Sudanese refugees and is close to the borders of South Sudan and the DRC. Each of the three locations is expected to deliver different learning outcomes given their unique contexts.

The confidence in this new Partnership approach is rooted in the pre-existing and ongoing systematic exchange of information, experience-sharing and strong coordination amongst the five PROSPECTS partners, and through the well-developed coordination platforms under the umbrella of the government-led CRRF in Uganda.