Browsing by Author "Okumu, Joseph"

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    An Assessment of Uganda’s Progressive Approach to Refugee Management
    (The World Bank., 2016) Vemuru, Varalakshmi; Araya, Yonatan Yehdego; Kalumiya, Charles Kalu; Buyinza, Faisal; Okumu, Joseph; Klose, Karoline Hilde
    For several decades, Uganda has been generously hosting refugees and asylum seekers from the conflict-affected countries in its neighborhood, especially the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Burundi. Since achieving its independence in 1962, the country has been hosting an average of approximately 161,000 refugees per year. As of December 2015, there were over 477,187 refugees and 35,779 asylum-seekers in Uganda in nine host districts located mainly in the northern, southern, and southwestern regions of the country. The refugees come from 13 countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, and Eritrea. Congolese account for 41.7 percent of total refugees in Uganda, followed by the South Sudanese at 39.4 percent.Uganda’s refugee laws are among the most progressive in the world. Refugees and asy lum seekers are entitled to work; have freedom of movement; and can access Ugandan social services, such as health and education. But refugee-impacted areas are at risk due to underlying poverty, vulnerability, and limited resilience to shock further exacerbated by the presence of refugees. The government of Uganda, in collabo ration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and partners, has taken steps to strengthen the self-reliance and resilience of refugees and their host communities.