Excitement as over 5,000 refugees receive relief food in Kiryandongo
KIRYANDONGO, January 25, 2026 — Over 5,000 refugees in the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement in Kiryandongo district expressed excitement and jubilation after receiving relief food from Muslim Charity UK, in partnership with Lisa Supporting and Sustaining Lives [LSSL].
The relief items were distributed on Thursday at the Magamaga food distribution point within the Kiryandongo refugee settlement.
Florence Nakiwala Kiyinji, former Minister of Youth and Children Affairs and founder of LSSL, and Suham Mafabi, country coordinator for Muslim Charity UK, handed over the items to Vincent Amaruma Manza, the settlement commandant, who then distributed them to the beneficiaries.
This timely intervention addresses the food insecurity prevalent in refugee settlements due to aid cuts.
Ten tonnes of beans, ten tons of rice, and ten tons of posho were provided to over 1,000 households. Each household received a package containing 10 kilogrammes of rice, 10 kgs of posho, 10 kgs of beans, and one liter of cooking oil.
According to Kiyinji, their initiative aimed to respond to the dire need for food among displaced families facing persistent hunger.
She stated that the provided items would sustain them for over a month.
Kiyinji emphasised that the food distribution followed comprehensive governance steps, including approval by LSSL’s management committee and board, procurement planning, and compliance with donor and national humanitarian guidelines.
“The support goes beyond satisfying immediate hunger. This intervention is not just about food; it is about standing with families who have endured hardship and displacement. With the support of Muslim Charity UK and in close coordination with the Office of the Prime Minister, we are ensuring that this support reaches those who need it most, transparently and responsibly,” Kiyinji stated.
She added that this is their fourth donation to refugees in Kiryandongo and, resources permitting, they intend to provide continuous support to vulnerable refugees.
Mafabi explained that the World Food Programme’s cuts to food support have negatively impacted refugees in the settlement.
“Last year, we supported 300 households, and this time we have also provided support, but the need remains dire. As Muslim Charity, we typically donate food relief in different regions during Ramadan, but this time we couldn’t wait because the refugees here are in urgent need,” she said.
Amaruma, the settlement commandant, expressed gratitude for the support, acknowledging that it would bring relief to the refugees.
“We are grateful for the support given to us. I also want to thank the Offices of the Prime Minister and the President for the support always rendered to us. We are suffering from donor fatigue, which has caused many challenges,” he said, calling upon various stakeholders to emulate this generosity, emphasising that supporting refugees is everyone’s responsibility.
He added that the Kiryandongo refugee settlement currently hosts 168,540 refugees from different countries.
Beneficiaries express excitement
Yasin Yusufu, a refugee from Northern Sudan with seven family members, noted the difficulty in feeding them.
“I am grateful to LSSL and Muslim Charity UK for this relief. We are going through a lot of hardships; sometimes we have only one meal,” he said.
Bala Abdulrahama, also from Northern Sudan, shared the challenge of feeding his six family members.
She commended the two organisations for their support and urged other organisations to follow suit.
Muslim Charity UK, the principal donor behind this food aid intervention, is an international relief and development non-governmental organisation registered in the United Kingdom. Its mission focuses on alleviating suffering among vulnerable populations during emergencies and supporting long-term development through education, health, water, and livelihood programmes.
Uganda’s globally lauded open-door refugee policy has resulted in the country currently hosting approximately 1.95 million refugees, primarily from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC]. Under Uganda’s progressive refugee framework, asylum seekers are granted freedom of movement, the right to work, access to social services, and allocation of land for settlement, enabling them to live with dignity alongside host communities.
Managed by the Office of the Prime Minister in partnership with humanitarian agencies, Uganda’s approach is widely cited as a global model for refugee protection and integration, even as continued regional instability places pressure on resources and humanitarian support systems. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees [UNHCR] projects that the total refugee population in Uganda could reach two million by 2026.
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