Give us money for refugee operations, Adjumani urges Danish government

ADJUMANI -The Adjumani district LCV chairman, Ben Anyama has appealed to the Danish government to support Uganda as it continues to host refugees from neighbouring countries.

Anyama made the call yesterday while addressing a delegation of the Danish Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, led by Signe Winding Albjerg, the Danish Ambassador to Uganda.

He Adjumani is hosting the biggest number of refugees in the region which has exerted too much pressure on the resources and the environment.

“We have a population of more than 500,000 people in Adjumani, half of the population is refugees and 80 percent of the refugee population is of women and children who need a lot of support, give us money to support the refugees instead of funding homosexuality because the district will not accept for promoting homosexuality,” Anyama insisted.

Anyama also noted that as South Sudan prepares for general elections next year, the number of refugees arriving from that country will go up.

“The number of refugees is going to grow more and this is going to threaten the host population which results in gender-based violence and other pressures on the environment,” Anyama observed.

Ambassador Albjerg commented on the Uganda government for its open-door policy of hosting refugees.

“We are extremely impressed with your generosity, as the government of Denmark, we also feel Uganda should not be a victim of its own generosity,” Albjerg said.

The chairperson of the committee, Lise Bech has led the committee of foreign affairs to see the impact of the money that the government of Denmark has been sending to support the refugees.

“It is very important for us to come and see this. We want to make a better understanding of the long-standing partnership between the government of Uganda and the government of Denmark.”

Rasmus Prehn of the Social Democratic Party who is a member of the committee commended partners for proving money to support refugee operations in Uganda.

“Our government extended Shs US$ 53,285,310 [Shs1, 387, 953, 300, 000] to support Northern Uganda Resilience Initiatives [NURI] projects and I am impressed by what I have seen,” Prehn stated.

Kim Valententin of the Liberal Party also a member of the committee attested that they will continue to support the local farmers especially in establishing waters that promote small-scale farmers both refugees and host communities.

The NURI project is implemented by the Danish Refugee Council, the four-year project is expected to benefit 1,504 community groups, targeting 45,120 households in 13 districts of Kitgum, Agago, and Lamwo in the Acholi sub-regions. Other districts are Arua, Nebbi, Pakwach, Zombo, Madi Okollo Adjumani, Moyo, Obongi, and Koboko.

https://thecooperator.news/returned-south-sudanese-refugees-break-ground-at-farm-cooperative/

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