Uganda to Receive Over 10,000 Displaced From DRC

Uganda’s government Tuesday reopened its borders to allow displaced groups from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) entry, despite pandemic outbreaks in both nations.

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“In the next three, four or five days they [the refugees] should be arriving in Uganda. Right now, arrangements are being made to receive them,” the Commissioner for refugees at the Prime Minister’s office Gerald Menya stated.

According to local news media, over ten thousand women, children, and men were displaced from DRC  due to violent ethnic-based confrontations in Ituri province. 

“We are not simply bringing them into Uganda. We shall take all the necessary health precautions,” Menya stated and assured all refugees would be COVID-19 tested and remain in precautionary isolation for a 2-weeks term.

Uganda’s government closed borders due to the first pandemic outbreak in March, as a precautionary measure to avoid virus spreading. 

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHRC), Uganda is a refugee receptor, currently hosting over 1.4 million displaced from South Sudan, DRC, and Burundi.

“While funding for the response in Uganda was already inadequate to address the basic needs of asylum seekers and refugees, the direct and indirect needs triggered by Covid-19 have posed additional financial challenges in providing protection and assistance to the 1.4 million refugees in Uganda,” UN refugee agency representative to Uganda Duniya Aslam Khan said.