Kampala: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a EUR 3 million contribution from the European Union's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) to provide life-saving food assistance to 336,000 refugees in Uganda.According to African Press Organization, WFP, in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and UNHCR, will deliver the assistance through digital cash transfers via mobile money and agency banking services to the most vulnerable and newly arrived refugees, primarily from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Sudan.Liam Kelly, who oversees EU humanitarian aid programmes in Uganda, stated that cash-based transfers are among the most effective ways to support refugee families and host communities. The flexibility and multi-purpose nature of cash assistance empower families to address their most urgent needs while strengthening local markets and businesses. By enabling people to purchase goods and services within their communities, cash assistance contributes to economic recovery, promotes financial inclusion, builds resilience, and helps lay the foundation for long-term stability.In the context of the ongoing Ebola outbreak, the use of digital cash transfers is proving critical by enabling refugees to receive assistance remotely. Digital payments help reduce crowding at distribution points, limit potential exposure to infection, and allow families to safely access food while maintaining flexibility and dignity.Marcus Prior, WFP's Acting Country Representative in Uganda, highlighted that cash transfers are at the heart of a more efficient and people-centred humanitarian response, empowering refugees by giving them choice. As part of the broader humanitarian reset, WFP is committed to prioritizing assistance based on needs, increasing efficiency in delivery, and working closely with local partners to strengthen Uganda's refugee response.Uganda hosts more than two million refugees across 13 settlements, marking it as the largest ref ugee population in Africa. WFP continues to collaborate with the Government of Uganda and partners to link emergency assistance with longer-term solutions, aiming to strengthen resilience and support refugee and host communities on a pathway toward self-reliance.
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