EPRC Unicef MoFPED

Joint Press Release Kampala June 6, 2018

New report details situation of child poverty and deprivation among refugees and host communities

People living in Uganda’s refugee hosting districts – both people from host communities and refugees - are deprived of basic services like water, sanitation and shelter.

This, according to a study on Child Poverty and Deprivation in Refugee Hosting Areas by the Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC), the University of Cardiff and UNICEF, which assessed child poverty, deprivation and social service delivery in refugee and host communities in West Nile, the South West, and Kampala.  

Alisaati cuddles her baby upon return from school

For only 150,000 Uganda shillings (USD 41) a young girl was married off at 12 years in Buyanga village, Iganga District, Eastern Uganda.

Alisaati Namagembe, now 14 years and a mother of a one year old son had always been an ardent student, good at mathematics and very focused. She aspired to be a Mathematics teacher and strongly believed and still does, that she would achieve her dream through education. Unfortunately, in 2016, her journey was interrupted when she was forcefully married off by her mother. She was a child and only 12 years old!

A refugee John prepares for the first meal of the day

It is 7:00am and refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo are about to enjoy their first meal of the day-breakfast, out of three meals provided at Nyakabande Transit Centre in Kisoro, Western Uganda. Byamungu John is seated with his family waiting for his wife to return with sugar for the family to have their porridge. John is the sole bread winner for the family of twelve that includes his wife, sister in law and nine children. Byamungu was working to fend for his family until the fighting in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) intensified. “We would hear gunshots and reports of people being kidnapped and killed,’ says Byamungu. This forced Byamungu and his family to start their journey for refuge in Uganda.

Un accompanoied childrefugeees from DRC

Lisa, 14, and Lisie 15, from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) look forlorn as they wait for a UNHCR truck to transport them from Nteko border point to Nyakabande Transit Centre in Kisoro, Western Uganda. It is 60kms from Nteko to Nyakabande.

Lisa and Lisie are sisters who arrived in Uganda on the morning of February 16, 2018. They lost both parents when the rebels attacked their home in DRC in October 2017. The two sisters crossed to Uganda by themselves having walked for 21kms