Uganda refugees get Korea rice support

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed an important contribution of 5,000 metric tons of rice from the Government of the Republic of Korea to WFP’s refugee support operations in Uganda.

“The Republic of Korea believes food relief is the first step in enabling refugees to restart their lives and embark on a journey toward self-reliance,” said the Korean Ambassador to Uganda, Ha Byung-Kyoo, at Nakivale refugee settlement in Isingiro district where the rice was delivered.

He added that the Korean government and its people are deeply concerned about the suffering of women and children arriving in difficult humanitarian conditions.

The donation, which will help feed more than 200,000 refugees, supports Uganda’s efforts to assist refugees who have fled conflict and hunger in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other conflict areas in the region, and will assist the refugees to cope with the initial pressures of displacement while enabling them to rebuild their lives and peacefully coexist with their Ugandan neighbours.

“This is an extremely welcome and generous gift,” said WFP’s Country Director, El-Khidir Daloum.   “It’s also a significant one, coming from a country that has itself experienced war and displacement and has since made remarkable efforts to rise from the ruins.”

WFP will use the Korean donation to provide food assistance to 213,000 refugees as part of their monthly food basket. The rice will help to diversify diets and improve nutrition among the most vulnerable refugees. It will replace maize in the July and August food assistance cycles in Kyaka II, Kyangwali, Nakivale, Oruchinga and Rwamwanja.

WFP is a 100 percent voluntarily-funded organization, so every donation counts towards it being able to provide refugees with regular food assistance in support of Uganda’s refugee policy.

This is the second rice donation WFP in Uganda has received from the Republic of Korea, having received 5,000 metric tons also last year.