Uganda To Temporarily Host 2,000 Afghan Refugees

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Uganda would temporarily host Afghan refugees whose country fell under the control of the Taliban on August 17, 2021.

Ugandan media reports have put the number of refugees to be admitted at 2,000 although the ministry of Foreign Affairs has not confirmed the number of people involved.

“Following last weekend’s events in Afghanistan, the U.S. government has reached out to several of its international partners, including Uganda, to assist in the likely need to temporarily house some Afghans and international citizens who may be evacuated,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

President Yoweri Museveni “has expressed Uganda’s readiness to provide assistance, including (for) the temporary accommodation of some of those affected by the current crisis,” the statement added, citing Uganda’s “long history and tradition of hosting” refugees.

An official of the High Committee for Refugees (UNHCR) in the country told AFP that the UN agency had not been involved in the discussions, but said it was “ready to support” any arrival.

This move has drawn mixed reactions from lawmakers especially those from the opposition.

Uganda is one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries, with nearly 1.5 million refugees and asylum seekers living there, the majority from South Sudan and the DRC.

Humanitarian agencies have in recent times highlight the lack of funding for refugee assistance in Afghanistan which has approximately 44 million people.