For comment and questions Samuel M Zewdu, UNHCR Livelihood Officer Email: zewdus@gmail.com
Context
As of January 2018, Uganda is host to 1,411,794 refugees and faces two emergency refugee influxes in parallel from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In 2017 alone, Uganda received over 602,021new refugees mainly from South Sudan and DRC. In 2017, influx trends have so far been less than in 2016. Current risk analysis suggests that these influxes, specifically from DRC, will continue in 2018, and possibly beyond, further emphasizing the continued emergency response needs in Uganda. Interagency refugee response plans (RRPs) and contingency plans have been put in place.
Since the outbreak of violence on the 7 th of July 2016 and corresponding deterioration in the overall security situation, in South Sudan and more recently in DRC more than 602,021 South Sudanese and Congolese have fled to Uganda, of which 86 percent are women and children, increasing the total number of South Sudanese refugee arrivals in Uganda in 2017 to over 602,021 as of 31 December 2017.
During the first stage of forced displacement, refugees often lose critical assets, increasing their vulnerability. The first short-term layer of support provided by humanitarian assistance can help to meet basic needs, preserve or recover essential productive assets and minimise expenditures. In the medium and long-term the support provided should aim at improving living conditions and capitalise resources, avoiding dependency.
Livelihood and early recovery in the framework of the Ugandan refugee response and management policy
Given the Ugandan government provides a favourable protection environment for refugees characterized by a non-camp, settlement approach important windows of opportunity exist to support the early recovery of the affected populations, creating the basis for self-sufficiency and future development interventions. The Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), applied as a pilot in Uganda, was launched in March 2017, with a view of harnessing a whole-of-society approach in responding and finding solutions to the refugee crisis. One of its objective is to enhance refugee self-reliance, to which the Livelihood Response Plan intends to contribute. At the same time, the Refugee and Host Population Empowerment (ReHOPE) framework, adopted by the UN and the World Bank, aims at supporting the Government of Uganda in achieving the objectives outlined in the Settlement Transformative Agenda, by exploring opportunities that benefit both refugees and the host communities. Designed as a collective humanitarian and development response, ReHOPE represents a key building block of a comprehensive response to displacement in Uganda and a critical component in the application of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework. The Livelihood Response Plan adheres to and supports the principles outlined in these frameworks.
While the newly arriving South Sudanese and Congolese refugee situation is still into its emergency phase, ensuring their gradual self-reliance through their inclusion in the local market and economy will be particularly important in the mid to long term. Refugee women and men should therefore be given opportunities to engage in small-scale livelihood projects in all settings.
By planning early recovery interventions as soon as possible during an emergency, we can avert the risk of relief assistance becoming an alternative to development and the social fabric of the refugee and host community can be more easily preserved and reconstituted. Providing early recovery support is also an important opportunity to promote gender equality and to build back better, in a way that capitalizes on the capacities of all groups of the targeted community and reshapes social roles towards self-reliance.
The growing refugee influx and diminishing availability of land in the settlements presents a major challenge also when it comes to establishing appropriate livelihood opportunities in the area of agriculture including crop production and animals/livestock keeping that refugees brought with them during their flight. It is generally agreed that the host communities within the district, surrounding the reception centres and settlements are the first to take on the burden of a refugee influx during an emergency. At the same time, the impact of refugee hosting is recognised at the whole level within local districts, as local institutions and authorities need to provide functioning services to the overall population. The arrival and presence of refugees puts pressure on already overstretched basic service infrastructures, natural resources and general food availability, which can generate tensions among different communities. All humanitarian actors should therefore extend their protection activities and service provision to the benefit of local populations, and promote peaceful coexistence and peace-building initiatives among the different communities.
In order to ensure that refugees do not place additional burdens on limited resources in the refugee hosting districts, UNHCR together with OPM, other UN agencies and partners need to work to improve resilience of refugees and host communities through access to agricultural and other livelihood opportunities, as well as support response capacities of local institutions.
UN agencies and other International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) have been conducting livelihoods need assessment and Rapid Assessment for Markets (RAM) to determine best programming interventions and possible value chain analysis and development that can help as a baseline for designing livelihood intervention projects for the refugee influx.
