Uganda is on the brink of a humanitarian emergency as it prepares to host a record 2 million refugees by the end of 2025, amid one of the worst funding crises in decades, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has warned.
“Emergency funding runs out in September,” said Dominique Hyde, UNHCR’s Director for External Relations, on Monday. “More children will die of malnutrition, more girls will fall victim to sexual violence, and families will be left without shelter or protection unless the world steps up.”
Since the beginning of the year, an average of 600 people have crossed into Uganda daily, fleeing violence and instability in Sudan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The East African nation, already home to 1.93 million refugees—over half of them children—remains Africa’s largest refugee-hosting country and the third largest globally.
But as the influx continues, international support is shrinking.
'Uganda can’t do it alone'
Uganda has long been praised for its progressive refugee policy, granting asylum seekers access to education, healthcare, and the right to work.
“Uganda has opened its doors, its schools, and its health centres. This model can succeed, but it can’t do it alone,” Hyde added.
The cost of meeting the basic needs of a single refugee in Uganda is estimated at just $16 per month. But without urgent funding, the UNHCR warns it will only be able to provide $5 per refugee monthly, slashing essential services like food, clean water, medicine, and mental health care.
As conditions deteriorate, malnutrition rates, especially among children under five, are rising rapidly, and the risk of suicide is increasing among young refugees due to cuts in mental health support.
So far, Uganda’s refugee response is only 2 percent funded for 2025.
The UNHCR is calling for immediate and sustained international support, including from development actors, to prevent a collapse in services and ensure that both refugees and the host communities can live in safety and dignity.
