KAMPALA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- UN World Food Program (WFP) on Tuesday launched a 15-million-U.S.-dollar Self-Reliance Model for refugees in Uganda to help them transit from depending on relief aid to self-reliance.
The food aid agency in a statement issued here said as global funding of refugee programs dwindles and the increasingly unpredictable weather conditions, the Self-Reliance Model will support refugees and host communities transitioning from depending on humanitarian assistance to meeting their own food needs.
The project will among others promote income generation among refugees, increase access to social protection and equip refugees with financial skills.
Abdirahman Meygag, WFP Uganda country representative, said the Self-Reliance Model project is in response to the refugees' request to support them get back on their feet. "WFP is committed to implementing projects that address the root causes of the challenges expressed by the people we serve. Over the years, refugees have communicated clearly their desire to be given the tools to take care of their families so they can live a fulfilling and dignified life," Meygag said.
The relief agency said the refugees having stayed in Uganda for many years, can generate their own income through agriculture.
"The fertile soils and two adequate rainy seasons are particularly conducive for refugees to engage in farming as a business," the statement said.
WFP is already supporting communal farming for refugees and host communities by providing them with solar-powered irrigation to produce enough to eat and sell through their vegetable gardens.
"Under the Self-Reliance Model, WFP aims to scale up such interventions to enable more people to earn a decent living from farming and other activities," the statement said.
Hilary Onek, Uganda's minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugee, said as a country that hosts the highest number of refugees in Africa, there is a need for comprehensive development approaches that go beyond immediate humanitarian support, according to the statement.
Uganda is host to 1.5 million refugees, of whom 1.4 million receive support from WFP, according to the statement. Conflict and climate crises in the region continue to drive the influx of refugees into the country.
In 2023, at least 130,000 new refugees arrived in Uganda, most fleeing conflict in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ■
