The German Minister of State for Economic Cooperation and Development, Niels Annen, has reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to supporting Uganda’s refugee response and development efforts during his visit from March 20th to 21st.
Uganda, the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, shelters approximately 1.8 million refugees, constituting 3.9% of its population. Germany, hosting 2.7 million refugees, acknowledges Uganda’s efforts in integrating displaced persons into host communities.
Minister Annen lauded Uganda’s progressive refugee policy, stating, “This is a remarkable accomplishment that deserves our full recognition, in particular as Uganda fosters the integration of refugees in the host communities. The latter often do not have easy living conditions themselves, lacking food, clean water, and electricity.”
During his visit, Minister Annen met with Uganda’s Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees, Honorable Hilary Onek, and other officials, as well as representatives from the United Nations. Their discussions focused on Uganda’s refugee policies and challenges arising from ongoing regional conflicts.
The Minister also toured the Kiryandongo refugee settlement, where he interacted with refugees and inspected German-supported projects aimed at improving water supply and livelihood opportunities. The projects have positively impacted not only new arrivals from Sudan and long-term South Sudanese refugees but also the host communities.
Germany has been a key contributor to Uganda’s refugee response, channeling more than UGX 580 billion (USD 155 million) through bilateral development cooperation and NGOs. Additionally, Germany is the second-largest global contributor to the UNHCR and WFP, providing critical humanitarian aid.
Minister Annen’s visit underscored Germany’s longstanding partnership with Uganda, which has spanned over 60 years, reinforcing a shared commitment to sustainable development and social cohesion between refugees and host communities.