With a population of 40 million people, 20% of whom live below the poverty line, Uganda has enjoyed a relatively stable political system since the mid-2000s, unlike most other countries in the Great Lakes region.
Uganda currently faces one of the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world. The continuous fighting in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in parallel with deteriorating conditions caused by several seasons of drought in the region, has resulted in a massive increase in primarily South Sudanese and Congolese refugees arriving to Uganda since mid-2016. Uganda’s refugee population has almost tripled in this time and is currently around 1.35 million, making it the largest refugee host in Africa, and third largest in the world.
The country has adopted a generous asylum policy, with refugees offered freedom of movement, along with the right to work, own assets, and access education/health services. However, it is a challenge to ensure that vulnerable refugees have fair and equal access to humanitarian aid and essential services.
Number of HI staff members: 65
Date the programme opened: 2009 (2017)
