The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany announced yesterday a grant of Euro 16 million to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to assist South Sudanese refugees in Uganda.

The contribution will help UNHCR provide nearly 1 million South Sudanese refugees with improved access to education, better housing and increased access to drinking water. The funds will be deployed over a period of three years, including Euro 13 million in 2017, 2 million in 2018 and 1 million in 2019.

"Germany has been a political, humanitarian and development partner for Uganda since long and will continue to support Uganda in this challenging situation," says Petra Kochendörfer, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the German Embassy in Kampala. "We recognize the burden and responsibility which an unparalleled influx of refugees from South Sudan places upon Uganda. Hoping that the violence and fighting in South Sudan will be stopped Germany is providing support for refugees and host communities in Uganda thus strengthening Uganda's open minded refugee policy."

UNHCR and its partners will use the funds to construct semi-permanent classrooms and expand secondary schools, to procure shelter materials and tool kits; and to maintain existing water supply systems in northern Uganda, especially the districts hosting the largest number of refugees such as Yumbe, Arua, Adjumani and Moyo.

"We sincerely welcome Germany's ongoing commitment to help ensure that those fleeing war and persecution in South Sudan are able to access the basic necessities they desperately need as they reach safety in Uganda," says Bornwell Kantande, UNHCR's Representative in Uganda. "It's not only about providing life-saving services, but also about helping refugees regain the dignity they have lost to years of senseless war."

The latest contribution is in addition to the over $6.5 million that Germany donated this year to UNHCR's operations providing protection and humanitarian assistance to South Sudanese refugees in the East and Horn of Africa.

Uganda is home to nearly 1.3 million refugees, including more than 950,000 refugees from South Sudan. The refugee population has more than doubled over the last year, following a new conflict in South Sudan's capital Juba in July 2016. On 22 and 23 June, the President of Uganda and the UN Secretary General convened the Solidarity Summit on Refugees in Kampala to rally international support for refugees and their host communities in Uganda.

Distributed by APO on behalf of Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Kampala.