New Global Trends report on the state of the world’s refugees shows displacement continues to rise. In 2018, the world reached yet another tragic milestone. For the first time in recorded history the number of displaced people around the world eclipsed 70 million. By the end of the year, 70.8 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, or generalized violence.

On 30 June, a first case of Ebola was confirmed in Ariwara, Aru Territory, DRC. In order to strengthen preventive measures to contain the virus, UNHCR and its partners conducted four mass sensitization sessions in Biringi, Aru and Aba targeting refugees and host community members.

UNHCR’s Representative in Uganda today handed over three ambulances, thirty one motorcycles and a thermal scanner to the Ministry of Health to boost the Ebola response. Uganda has included refugees in the National Ebola Preparedness and Response Plan and continues to keep its borders open, ensuring safe and dignified asylum for the women, children and men arriving daily from the neighbouring countries.

UNHCR and COR SECURE THE RELEASE OF DETAINED REFUGEES AMID COVID 19 FEARS: To reduce the risk of infection in overcrowded detention sites, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with the government’s Commissioner for Refugees (COR) achieved the release from immigration detention in the Sudanese capital Khartoum of Eritrean asylum-seekers for proper registration. They had been in detention for administrative reasons.

In a historic decision, the member states of the UN General Assembly today agreed on a new international framework – known as the Global Compact on Refugees – that will transform the way the world responds to mass displacement and refugee crises, benefiting both refugees and the communities that host them.

UNICEF & UNHCR held a Regional meeting on the Global Compact On Refugees (GCR) and application of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) in Eastern and Southern Africa (16 and 17 April 2019)

In Uganda, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) jointly released the revised 2019-2020 Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP). The revision is a result of an exercise of planning figures, targets and budgets with a reduced refugee population as of year-end 2018 which started last February.

Education is a major priority in the Uganda refugee response for 2019 and beyond. More than half of refugee children, and over one third of Ugandan children in refugee hosting areas, are out of school.

UNHCR welcomes Uganda Communications Commission directive to improve refugees’ access to SIM cards.

One of our anti-SGBV Initiatives is the MADE51. This artisan initiative allows refugee artisans, many of them women at risk of SGBV, to receive expert product development support and access to international marketing channels and sustainable livelihoods.