Uganda: World's largest refugee hosting country

Kampala, Uganda, 2025 — Uganda hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, with over 1.5 million refugees and asylum-seekers having fled conflict and persecution from neighboring countries including South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia, and Burundi. Unlike many other host countries, Uganda has adopted one of the most progressive refugee policies in the world, granting refugees the right to work, establish businesses, and access public services.

HopeAid has been operating in Uganda since 1998, working to support both refugees and the Ugandan communities that host them. Our programs deliver essential health care, education, protection, and economic recovery services to hundreds of thousands of people in the country's northern and western regions.

A model of progressive refugee policy

Uganda's refugee policy is widely recognized as one of the most forward-thinking in the world. Under Uganda's Refugee Act, refugees are given the right to live in settlements or urban areas, access education and health services, and establish businesses. This approach has allowed many refugees to become self-reliant rather than dependent on aid.

However, the sheer scale of displacement has placed enormous pressure on local infrastructure and services. Refugee settlements like Bidi Bidi, Pagirinya, and Rhino Camp host hundreds of thousands of people each, often in areas with limited access to clean water, health care, and education. Host communities — who themselves may be struggling with poverty and limited services — have also felt the strain.

"Uganda has shown extraordinary generosity in hosting refugees. But generosity alone is not enough. Refugees and host communities alike need sustained international support to thrive."

HopeAid's programs in Uganda

HopeAid works across Uganda's refugee-hosting regions, delivering a comprehensive range of programs to support both refugees and host communities:

• Health: Operating mobile and fixed health clinics that provide primary health care, maternal and child health services, disease prevention, and mental health support to over 500,000 people annually.
• Education: Running temporary learning spaces, training teachers, and providing educational materials to ensure that refugee and host community children can continue their education. HopeAid reaches over 100,000 children in Uganda each year.
• Protection: Providing child protection services, gender-based violence prevention and response, legal assistance, and psychosocial support to vulnerable refugees and host community members.
• Economic Recovery: Supporting livelihoods through vocational training, cash assistance, savings groups, and business development services to help refugees and host communities achieve self-reliance.
• Water & Sanitation: Drilling boreholes, constructing latrines, and promoting hygiene practices to reduce the risk of waterborne disease in crowded settlement areas.

Empowering women and girls

Women and girls make up more than half of Uganda's refugee population and face particular risks in displacement settings. HopeAid's programs prioritize their safety and empowerment through safe spaces, gender-based violence response services, economic empowerment initiatives, and leadership training.

Our women's safe spaces provide a refuge from violence and exploitation, as well as a platform for skills training, peer support, and community leadership. Many women who participate in our safe space programs go on to become community advocates and entrepreneurs, transforming their own lives and those of their families.

Supporting host communities

Host communities are an essential part of Uganda's refugee response, and HopeAid is committed to ensuring they also benefit from our programs. We design our interventions to benefit both refugees and host community members — improving health facilities, schools, and water infrastructure that serve entire populations regardless of status.

This integrated approach helps reduce tensions, build social cohesion, and ensure that humanitarian assistance does not inadvertently create disparities or resentment between communities.

The challenge of sustainable funding

Despite its success, Uganda's refugee operation faces chronic underfunding. The UN refugee response in Uganda has consistently been funded at less than 50% of its requirements, forcing agencies like HopeAid to make impossible choices between competing needs. At a time when global displacement is at record levels and humanitarian budgets are shrinking, Uganda's refugee operation risks falling through the cracks.

How you can help

Uganda has shown the world that refugee protection and humane asylum policies are possible. But even the most progressive policies cannot succeed without adequate funding and support. Your donation helps HopeAid continue delivering life-saving services to refugees and host communities in Uganda.

Please donate today and help us stand with Uganda's refugees and the communities that welcome them.

Tags: Program Uganda Refugees HopeAid Field Stories