Celebrating World Refugee Day in Uganda

As part of celebrations to mark the World Refugee Day, held every June 20, the European Union Delegation to Uganda joined the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the Office of the Prime Minister to celebrate the occassion in a special way.

The celebrations kicked off with a procession match dubbed "The Solidarity Walk" to show solidarity with Uganda for keeping its door open to those fleeing persecution in their own countries.  Since mid-2016, the population of refugees in Uganda has more than doubled to over 1.2 million and with refugees arriving from South Sudan at a rate of more than 2000 per day, the number is steadily increasing. Uganda is experiencing one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world.

Mr Aloys Lorkeers, the Head of the Sustainable Development Section at the EU Delegation to Uganda participated in the celebrations, conveying a message from the EU of its commitment in standing with Uganda as it deals with the refugee crisis. "The European Union has stood beside Uganda from the onset of the crisis by providing financial support both for immediate humanitarian life-saving activities as well as for long-term development needs - both for refugees and host communities," he said. "Based on current commitments, the EU and its Member States in Uganda already fund 47% of the humanitarian response to the South Sudan emergency."

Mr Lorkeers, also informed that the EU would announce further commitments during the Uganda Solidarity Summit on Refugees, jointly hosted with the UN, that is taking place this week on 22 and 23 June.

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