€2.9 Million (over 12.5Bn Ugx) in EU Support for Disaster Risk Reduction in South Western Uganda

Thursday, March 11, 2021 Kampala Uganda. Oxfam in Uganda and Care International Uganda have today launched two Disaster Risk Management Projects, funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF).

Over 839,750 people will be benefitting from these projects that will be implemented separately by Care and Oxfam in Isingiro, Kyegegwa, Kamwenge and Kikuube districts.

The two projects aim to improve the resilience of the Ugandan community members in these four districts to the ever-changing climatic conditions and their adverse effects on the food and social economic structures.

Oxfam’s 30-months project titled Strengthening Resilience through enhanced Local Disaster Risk Management Capacities will be implemented in consortium with partners Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) and Joint Effort to Save the Environment (JESE), in Nakivale Settlement, Isingiro District, and in Kyaka II refugee settlement in Kyegegwa district. On the other hand, CARE’s project which is titled “Strengthening Emergency Preparedness and Inclusive Natural Resources Management in Refugee Hosting Districts” will be implemented for 33 months in the Districts of Kikuube and Kamwenge, within Kyangwali and Rwamwanja refugee settlements respectively and the host communities.

“Under this project, Oxfam looks forward to a reduction in forest exploitation, and restoration of natural resource management activities. These actions will improve environmental governance through advocacy, environmental education and influencing.” Francis Odokorach, Oxfam in Uganda Country Director said. “We shall achieve this through building on the currently running waste to value innovations projects like turning fecal waste into energy briquettes, building the capacity of local actors and district staff, and most importantly, through interagency coordination.”

“Indeed, the development and humanitarian services at the EU Delegation in Uganda have joined forces and identified disaster preparedness (and response) AND natural resource management as relevant areas for collaboration to operationalize the Humanitarian – Development Nexus in Uganda, through concrete interventions on the ground”, said Ms Caroline Adriaensen, Head of Development Cooperation at European Union Delegation to Uganda.

Building on the experience of the EUTF funded RISE project in Kikuube, CARE will work with partners to strengthen the capacity of both Kamwenge and Kikuube districts, in anticipating, planning for and responding to disasters, including promotion of peaceful co-existence between refugees and host communities. Drawing from its ten years’ experience in Natural Resource Governance, CARE will support restoration of degraded wetlands, forests and bare hills, and strengthen the governance arrangements for these resources, in a gender transformative manner.

“This project will enable CARE Uganda to make strides towards fulfilling the target of building the resilience (to Climate Change) of 500,000 poor and vulnerable people (60% of them women), by 2025” said Apollo Gabazira, the Country Director of CARE International in Uganda.

“It is also important to mention that these two projects are part of a larger regional programme titled "CRRF DIRECT - Displacement responses through regional cooperation and technical exchange" (€ 9 mil), which supports the implementation of the objectives of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) in relation to displacement from the Great Lakes region, which indeed affects the region itself as well as the wider Horn of Africa, said Ms Caroline Adriaensen, Head of Development Cooperation at European Union Delegation to Uganda.

While speaking at the launch, the Country Directors for Oxfam and Care appreciated the European Union for their continued support towards building the resilience of both refugees and their hosting communities.

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About the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa

(https://ec.europa.eu/trustfundforafrica/index_en ; https://europa.eu/ and https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/uganda_en )

The EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa was established in 2015 to address the root causes of instability, forced displacement and irregular migration and to contribute to better migration management. The Trust Fund covers three windows: the Sahel and Lake Chad, the Horn of Africa, and the North of Africa.

The EUTF for Africa supports vulnerable and marginalised population groups at the forefront. Principal target beneficiaries include migrants and forcibly displaced people, their origin and host communities, and victims of trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling. Potential migrants, and notably women and young people are strongly supported by a large range of actions.

At institutional level, national and local authorities, civil society groups and community-based organisations also benefit from EUTF for Africa actions and play a crucial role in the identification and implementation of programmes. They also benefit from support through capacity building and training activities.

About Oxfam in Uganda (https://uganda.oxfam.org)

Oxfam’s refugee response and partner response program is currently reaching over 300,000 refugees across four districts providing life-saving assistance, clean water, sanitation hygiene including construction of pit latrines, sustainable livelihoods and integrating gender and protection work. Oxfam and partners are actively engaged in advocacy for sustainable approaches to the refugee response as well as peace building at local level, national, regional and international levels.

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About JESE (https://www.jese.org/)

Joint Effort to Save the Environment (JESE) is an indigenous non-government, service-providing organization, establishment in 1993. Since its establishment, JESE, through her work in improved Agriculture Production, Natural Resources Management and long-term development, has greatly contributed to improved livelihoods of target beneficiaries and provided opportunities for a better life especially for the rural poor households and communities. Over the past decade, the organization has continued to experience substantial growth in terms of programs and personnel.

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About CSBAG (https://www.csbag.org/)

The Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) is a coalition formed in 2004 to bring together CSOs at national and district levels to influence Government decisions on resource mobilization and utilization for equitable and sustainable development. CSBAG was created out of a desire to collectively influence government and effectively participate in setting national budget priorities.

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About CARE in Uganda

Over the last ten years, CARE has had a strong focus on Natural Resource Governance, strengthening accountability structures and mechanisms which empower citizens to have better access and control over natural resources. Through its humanitarian program, CARE has supported refugees arriving from South Sudan and the Democratic republic of Congo in areas of sexual reproductive health, protection against gender based violence, livelihoods and renewable energy. For the next five years (2020 – 2025), CARE will work to enable 2 million people (60% women and girls) from the most vulnerable communities to overcome poverty and social injustice through its Climate Justice, Gender Justice, Livelihood and Humanitarian Programs.