The Sunday News
Kampala — The international community pledged $358m at a fundraising summit on Friday to help Uganda tackle the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis, falling well short of expectations.
Organisers had hoped the meeting in the central city of Entebbe would raise at least $2 billion to help nearly a million South Sudanese fleeing civil war.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the pledges were a good beginning, but that more was needed.
“I think it is a very good start but we cannot stop,” he said.
However, Yuna Cho of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Uganda said, “The outcome is disappointing, worrying”.
“Although the number of people currently crossing the border is decreasing that didn’t mean that the problem is close to being solved,” Cho added.
On Thursday, Guterres visited refugee camps in northern Uganda, close to the South Sudan border, which have popped up over the last year, quickly becoming the largest in the world. Guterres said Uganda’s “exemplary refugee policy” stands out in a world where many countries are turning their backs on foreigners in need.
Refugees were not living in camps but in settlements which were more like proper villages, according to the UN chief.
On Friday, European nations pledged $140m on top of $95m pledged by the EU on Thursday, but summit organisers say $8bn or more is needed to deal with the crisis for the coming four years.
Appealing for funds, Guterres said international solidarity with Uganda was “not a matter of generosity, it is a matter of justice.” — AFP
